�������ýҕ�l

House Democrats’ plan to vote on legislation decriminalizing marijuana before the November election went up in smoke Thursday, as leadership decided to postpone consideration of the measure amid concerns about the political optics. Some of the more moderate Democrats in the caucus, including ones considered vulnerable for re-election in November, had expressed reservation about voting on the marijuana bill this month when Congress still had not passed another coronavirus relief package. (McPherson, 9/17)

The bill, originally set for a vote next week, would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, leaving it up to states to determine its legality. The legislation would also expunge some criminal records and impose a 5% federal tax on cannabis products to help fund programs in communities impacted by the war on drugs. The vote would have been the first measure to decriminalize marijuana to have come up on the House floor. It wasn’t expected to proceed to the Senate or become law. (Ngo and Andrews, 9/17)

Removing federal penalties for marijuana looked like an easy win for Democrats two weeks ago, but the momentum has stalled. Democrats have been scared off by Republicans' use of the marijuana bill to bludgeon Democrats on the lack of a coronavirus deal, and moderates in tight races worry it will be linked to hits they’re already taking over the “defund the police” movement. So instead of embracing the progressive messaging of this bill as an election win, House leaders are now thinking about punting marijuana until after November 3. (Fertig, 9/17)