Sen Jacky Rosen Releases Video Calling For Federal Marijuana Legalization, Pushes FDA To Reschedule

Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) is urging lawmakers to support commonsense cannabis reforms. In a recent video, she used her home state as an example of successful and economically beneficial cannabis programs.

"Did you know that more than three-quarters of states across the country have decriminalized or fully legalized the use of cannabis?" Rosen said. "In Nevada, we've been successfully regulating marijuana since 2017, and our economy and small businesses have seen the benefits. Unfortunately, Congress has failed to keep up with the times. As your senator, I'm committed to passing commonsense legislation to support legal cannabis use nationwide and allow Nevada's cannabis industry to thrive."

In November 2022, Rosen introduced the Fair Access for Cannabis Small Business Act which seeks to enable legal cannabis businesses to access Small Business Administration (SBA) loans. In 2023, she co-sponsored the Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act, legislation that would enable legal marijuana businesses to access services offered by banks and financial institutions. 

After highlighting her previous cannabis reform-related efforts, Rosen said she would continue her efforts. "We ultimately need to legalize marijuana at the federal level," she said. "While we get there, one thing we can do right now is to reschedule cannabis—something I'm pushing the FDA to do. These are all commonsense policies that match what Nevadans believe, and I will continue to champion these policies for Nevadans and all Americans."

In January, the government released hundreds of pages of documents related to its ongoing review of the status of cannabis under federal law, confirming that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has recommended the DEA reschedule cannabis as Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. This means that HHS has acknowledged some medical value of marijuana and the rescheduling is being considered.

DEA, the 50-year-old agency that brought us the War on Drugs, has made clear to Congress that it alone has "final authority" over rescheduling marijuana and will get to it when it finishes conducting its internal review.

Meanwhile, Americans are clear about their stance on reform, with seven in 10 Americans now thinking marijuana use should be legal, the highest level yet after holding steady at 68% for the past three years, according to a November Gallup poll.

See Also: What Happens In Vegas: First Legal Weed Lounge Opens, Freeing Adults From Consumption Stigma

The Benzinga Cannabis Capital Conference is returning to Florida, in a new venue in Hollywood, on April 16 and 17, 2024. The two-day event at The Diplomat Beach Resort will be a chance for entrepreneurs, both large and small, to network, learn and grow. Renowned for its trendsetting abilities and influence on the future of cannabis, mark your calendars – this conference is the go-to event of the year for the cannabis world. Get your tickets now on bzcannabis.com – prices will increase soon! 

Photo: Benzinga edit with images by U.S. Senate Photographic Studio via Wikimedia Commons and Jose Luis Sanchez Pereyra via Unsplash