Murray: “This is a historic step, and it will change so many people’s lives. No one should be in federal prison for simple marijuana possession, and it absolutely shouldn’t impact your ability to get housing, education, and so much more.”
(Washington, D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) made the following statement following President Biden’s announcement that he was pardoning all prior federal offenses of simple marijuana possession and asking Secretary Becerra and Attorney General Garland to begin the process of reviewing how marijuana is scheduled under federal law.
“This is a historic step, and it will change so many people’s lives. No one should be in federal prison for simple marijuana possession, and it absolutely shouldn’t impact your ability to get housing, education, and so much more,” said Senator Murray. “But, there’s more work ahead—I’m working hard to pass my SAFE Banking Act to help cannabis shops operate safely as well as legislation I led with Senators Schumer, Wyden, and Booker to federally legalize marijuana, and I’ll keep pushing for both.”
Senator Murray continues to be a leader in this space. Earlier this year, she helped introduce the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA). The CAOA, introduced by Senators Murray, Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Ron Wyden (D-OR), and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and co-sponsored by Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), would decriminalize, regulate, and tax cannabis at the federal level and empower states to implement their own cannabis laws. Since 2017, she has been pushing to pass the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act which would allow state-legal cannabis businesses to access banking services and continues to push for its passage. Last April, Senator Murray held a press conference in Tukwila to outline the path forward for the SAFE Banking Act and affirmed her commitment to getting this legislation signed into law.
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