*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).
President Donald Trump, in a fiery letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, is objecting to impeachment articles and accuses Democrats of “subverting” democracy. Trump's letter to the speaker came as Democrats were pushing ahead toward a Wednesday vote expected to result in his impeachment.
The middle-of-the-night moves on Capitol Hill blindsided the solar sector. The industry had launched an ambitious lobbying effort this summer to extend the industry's tax credit and until last night had believed that an extension would be included in the tax packages.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, December 17, 2019.
Cheddar's Justin Chermol spent time with Mayor Pete boosters in the early primary state of New Hampshire.
U.S. stocks rallied in early trading Monday, rising with European and several Asian markets after China, the world's second-largest economy, reported surprisingly strong signs of life.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Monday, December 16, 2019.
Led by Advisor to the President, Ivanka Trump, the White House Summit on Child Care and Paid Leave is the first major meeting on the issue by the Trump Administration.
Impeachment charges against President Donald Trump went to the full House on Friday, following approval by the House Judiciary Committee.
Boris Johnson's gamble on early elections paid off as voters gave the UK prime minister a commanding majority to take the country out of the European Union by the end of January, a decisive result after more than three years of stalemate over Brexit.
A self-described activist, Zozibini Tunzi said she hopes to continue her work against gender-based violence and in favor of gender equality.
