The Future of Cannabis Legalization

There are many questions about the future of the federal legalization of cannabis. With more states legalizing cannabis,  many are wondering what will play out in the upcoming years. Federal legalization has long been called for by the people. A recent Gallup poll showed that 68 percent of Americans support legalization. But with lots of factors still in the way, including Big Pharma and government intervention of voter-approved legislation, what does the future hold?

Decriminalization, and not legalization, seems to be the most likely next development. During his 2020 presidential campaign, President Biden favored marijuana decriminalization. But Biden has a long history opposing cannabis legalization. This has left many questioning whether he will hold true to his platform or not.

While Biden has never taken a stance for federal legalization, Vice President Kamala Harris has. Despite her history of cannabis opposition, she recently cosponsored the MORE Act. This called for federal legalization of cannabis and the expungement of marijuana possession charges. It passed in the House of Representatives but it didn’t make it through the Senate in December 2020. But now it looks like she may be changing her views yet again, this time to fit with Biden’s. Her most recent stance is decriminalizing marijuana and expunging criminal records. Biden has also said that he would “reschedule cannabis as a Schedule II drug so researchers can study its positive and negative impacts”. There has been no indication of that changing.

There have been some major changes in cannabis legalization. There are currently some major players in the Senate working on marijuana reform legislation. Mexico recently legalized recreational marijuana. These changes could mean that US legalization will happen sooner than later. In the meantime, we must continue to provide education and spread awareness on the positive benefits of the cannabis plant.