In today’s HK Cannabis Law Newsletter, we present articles and information regarding the following: Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s commitment to cannabis reform, explicitly stating that ending the “cannabis prohibition” is a top priority for 2021; President Donald Trump reserved a small number of his pardons for cannabis convictions; meanwhile, the Idaho Senate’s Republican majority seeks to amend its state constitution to prevent cannabis from being decriminalized; and the cannabis industry overall appears uniquely situated to embrace greener means of production.
Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer is already taking aggressive steps on cannabis reform at the federal level, including a meeting with President Biden’s nominee for the U.S. Attorney General, to stress the importance of respecting state decisions to decriminalize cannabis.
Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, along with other U.S. Senators including Sen. Cory Brooker (D-NJ) and Sen. Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) announced in a joint-statement that they would work to end cannabis prohibition in 2021.
On the eve of leaving office, with less than a day remaining in his presidential-term, President Donald Trump pardoned 12 individuals of their cannabis-based federal crimes, in what is considered a small victory for reform efforts.
The Idaho Senate appears to be bucking the national trend towards legalization, as exemplified by its recent passage of a constitutional amendment that would prevent cannabis, or any drug, from being decriminalized.
As a nascent industry, cannabis is uniquely situated to adopt environmentally friendly means of production, because doing so both lowers the costs of production, and attracts environmentally-minded consumers.