Federal Cannabis Reform: Inevitable But Inevitably Piecemeal

Law360 (Aug 6, 2021, 5:34 pm EDT) – Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, DN.Y., recently unveiled the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA), a long-awaited and sweeping act to legalize Federal cannabis.

Because of the dynamic behind cannabis reform, many believe that transformative reform – through the CAOA or some other comprehensive law – is imminent.

In fact, many Americans wonder why it took Congress so long to pass large-scale cannabis reform, since 68% of voters are in favor of legalization and most states have legalized marijuana for recreational or medicinal use.[1]

In the November 2020 election alone, voters legalized medical cannabis in Mississippi and South Dakota …