*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).
A resurgent Joe Biden scored sweeping victories across the country with the backing of a diverse coalition and progressive rival Bernie Sanders seized Super Tuesday’s biggest prize with a win in California as the Democratic Party’s once-crowded presidential field suddenly transformed into a two-man contest.
The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 785 points and bond prices surged after an emergency interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve failed to reassure markets racked by worries that a fast-spreading virus outbreak could lead to a recession.
HotelPlanner CEO Tim Hentschel told Cheddar that the travel industry is taking the worst hit it has seen in nearly two decades thanks to the coronavirus outbreak paralyzing multiple countries.
Stocks are whipping up and down after the Federal Reserve swooped into the market with an emergency rate cut in hopes of shielding the economy from the effects of the fast-spreading virus. Tuesday's surprise move gave stocks a strong, brief boost, but it took just 15 minutes for the gains to evaporate.
Chairman Jerome Powell said at a news conference that the virus “will surely weigh on economic activity both here and abroad for some time.” It was the Fed's first rate cut since last year, when it reduced its key short-term rate three times.
The Federal Reserve will cut interest rates by a half-percentage point in its first emergency rate cut since the Great Recession in response to the spreading coronavirus.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, March 3, 2020.
Dow Jones skyrockets on hopes central banks protect the economy from the coronavirus outbreak.
Anthony Scaramucci, the founder of SkyBridge Capital and former White House communications director, has an optimistic view of the markets going forward despite the headwinds of the COVID-19 outbreak and President Trump's handling of the health crisis.
Amy Klobuchar is ending her Democratic presidential campaign, plans to endorse Joe Biden.
