*By Jacqueline Corba*
Voters are effectively pressuring lawmakers on both sides of the aisle to publicly support the easing cannabis laws, said the deputy director of the National Organization for Marijuana Laws.
In an interview Tuesday with Cheddar, the deputy director, Paul Armentano said politicians were realizing that marijuana enjoyed greater popularity than they did.
"With the midterm elections approaching, more and more members of Congress from both parties now acknowledge that advocating for marijuana policy reform is not a political liability, rather its a political opportunity," said Armentano.
Last Friday ー on 4/20, of all days ー Sen. Chuck Schumer, Democrat of New York and the minority leader, introduced a bill to decriminalize weed. A few days earlier, the majority leader, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, had introduced a bill to remove hemp from the list of controlled substances.
Senators Kamala Harris (D-CA) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) have called on Attorney General Jeff Sessions to stop using federal anti-drug laws to block medical marijuana research. And even President Trump changed his tune last week when he promised Sen. Cory Gardner, a Colorado Republican, he would support legal protections in states where marijuana is legal.
A majority of Americans ー 60 percent, according to a Pew Research Center poll ー said they support marijuana legalization.
For full interview, [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/inside-the-momentum-driving-politicians-to-back-cannabis).
NJ Rep. Kim walked amid the mess shortly after voting to certify Joe Biden’s victory over Donald Trump and felt the weight of the day wearing on him when something motivated him to clean up the debris.
A police officer has died from injuries sustained as President Trump’s supporters stormed the Capitol, intensifying questions about the defeated president’s remaining days in office and the ability of the Capitol police to secure the area.
Nsé Ufot, CEO of the New Georgia Project, talked to Cheddar about the long road to flipping Georgia from red to blue in the presidential and senate runoff races.
Rep. Tim Ryan of Ohio discussed the lack of preparedness by law enforcement in the lead-up to the Capitol breach on Wednesday and the culpability of the president in inciting the attack.
After years of treating President Donald Trump’s inflammatory rhetoric with a light touch, Facebook and Instagram are silencing his social media accounts for the rest of his presidency.
The U.S. registered its highest deaths yet from the coronavirus on the very day the mob attack on the Capitol laid bare some of the same, deep political divisions that have hampered the battle against the pandemic.
Rep. Seth Moulton of Massachusetts is among multiple lawmakers calling for the removal of President Trump for the assault on the Capitol that unfolded on Wednesday.
Manufacturers, retailers, and corporate head-honchos alike have criticized President Donald Trump and certain Republicans' efforts to delay the peaceful transfer of power.
President-elect Joe Biden has introduced Merrick Garland as his pick for attorney general along with three others he has selected for senior Justice Department positions.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says President Donald Trump should immediately be removed from office or Congress may proceed to impeach him.
