*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).
Speaking early Monday at a campaign rally in Opa-locka, Florida, Trump expressed frustration that the surging cases of a virus that has killed more than 231,000 people in the United States remains in the news, sparking chants of “Fire Fauci” from his supporters.
While snapping a selfie with a sealed envelope is perfectly legal, memorializing your marked ballot with a photo can be against the law in some states.
From Wall Street to Silicon Valley, these are the top stories that moved markets and had investors, business leaders, and entrepreneurs talking this week on Cheddar.
Former White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci, joined Cheddar to discuss Biden versus Trump in the 2020 election.
More than 9 million ballots have been cast as of Friday in the nation’s second most-populous state, exceeding the 8.9 million cast in 2016,
Each state has different rules on when it's allowed to start counting early ballots. That is going to produce results coming in at very different times — perhaps days or even weeks after Election Day.
Following today's big tech hearing, former Virginia Senator Barbara Comstock, joined Cheddar to discuss the government's role in regulating the industry and why it is bad for business.
The CEOs of Twitter, Facebook and Google have received a hectoring from Republicans at a Senate hearing for alleged anti-conservative bias in the companies’ social media platforms. And
Cheddar's Megan Pratz was serving as Vice President Mike Pence's pool reporter as news broke that members of his team tested positive for the coronavirus.
Big tech CEOs are gearing up to testify in Washington as lawmakers prepare to take action on tech liability. Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) joined Cheddar to discuss.
