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Schumer, Booker, Wyden meet with cannabis groups.
Ahead of the unveiling of draft cannabis reform legislation, lawmakers spearheading the effort in Congress are meeting with key advocacy groups.
+ More: For more context on this push in Congress, read Cannabis Wire’s deep dive on what’s expected in the months ahead.
Cannabis research bill reintroduced in the US Senate.
Late last year, two cannabis research bills advanced in Congress. As Cannabis Wire reported at the time, while the House bill and the Senate bill had several similarities, the Senate version was more restrictive.
Now, the Senate version has been reintroduced. The Cannabidiol and Marijuana Research Expansion Act is backed by Senators Chuck Grassley, Dianne Feinstein, and Brian Schatz.
Wisconsin governor will include adult use in his budget.
Gov. Tony Evers announced Sunday that he plans to include adult use cannabis legalization in his 2021-23 biennial budget, which will be released on February 16.
His plan estimates that cannabis tax revenue will hit $165 million annually starting in FY 2023. Of that, $80 million would go into a Community Reinvestment Fund, which would then allocate $30 million toward equity grants, $5 million in “grants to underserved communities,” and ~$34 million toward rural schools.
“Legalizing and taxing marijuana in Wisconsin—just like we do already with alcohol—ensures a controlled market and safe product are available for both recreational and medicinal users and can open the door for countless opportunities for us to reinvest in our communities and create a more equitable state,” Gov.Evers said in a statement. “Frankly, red and blue states across the country have moved forward with legalization and there is no reason Wisconsin should be left behind when we know it’s supported by a majority of Wisconsinites.”
Though, while Evers has pushed for cannabis reforms for years, the legislature is likely to continue to reject his proposals.
