*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).
Kelly Loeffler will be the first cryptocurrency CEO and second woman in Georgia to ever have served in the Senate.
The morning began with three constitutional experts telling lawmakers that President Donald Trump committed impeachable offenses, although one vehemently dissented.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Wednesday, December 4, 2019.
The celebratory feeling among shoppers on Sunday mirrored that of lawmakers and activists, but the state is facing shortages that can be traced back to licensing decisions made in the medical marijuana program.
Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, who is hosting a cannabis summit on December 11, told Cheddar on Tuesday he is bringing together legislators and experts in an effort to push forward his calls for reform.
The once top tier candidate in the race for the 2020 presidential nomination announced the end to her run on Tuesday.
During the NATO summit in London, Trump doubled-down on threats to tax French goods in retaliation for the country’s taxes on U.S. tech and also suggested the China trade deal may be delayed until after the 2020 election.
These are the headlines you Need 2 Know for Tuesday, December 3, 2019
Student Debt Crisis was "inundated with calls" after filing a lawsuit against the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau for failing to properly oversee the companies that manage federal student loan debt.
The energy sector is in "a really exciting time," Chairman Neil Chatterjee told Cheddar Monday. His agency, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission, is charged with overseeing the power grid.
