In a meeting with equity advocates, Senator Chuck Schumer has recently provided an update on marijuana legalization and banking.
The Democrat politician held a meeting with a variety of marijuana reform and other advocacy groups last week to discuss social equity issues as he prepares to introduce a much-anticipated cannabis legalization bill this year.
Some activists at the meeting told Marijuana Moment that Schumer again gave vague details about the timeline for filing the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), saying it will be done “soon.” The Senator also expects committee hearings to follow after its introduction.
The Zoom meeting also discussed topics such as marijuana banking, immigration issues related to cannabis and the implementation of New York’s adult-use marijuana program.
Schumer characterized the discussion as an “exciting meeting on social equity in federal marijuana reform” in a tweet on Friday.
“We’re working to end the prohibition & ensure equity for communities impacted by the War on Drugs—[especially] communities of color.”
Representatives of the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition (CRCC), Immigrant Defense Project, Women Grow, VOCAL-NY and Rochester NORML participated in the meeting as well.
“Sen. Schumer has consistently stood with small and minority-owned businesses. We were glad to share hard-earned lessons for how Congress can ensure that the communities most impacted by the war on drugs are set up for success,” Shaleen Title, who attended as vice chair of CRCC, told Marijuana Moment.
