Sen. Chuck Schumer Proposes Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana at the Federal Level, but It Faces an Uphill Battle

The Daily Dive

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has released draft legislation aimed at decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level. Called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, it would remove weed from the Controlled Substances Act and begin regulating and taxing it. It would still give states the power to set their own laws and would also expunge non-violent cannabis related arrests. Natalie Fertig, federal cannabis policy reporter at Politico, joins us for what to expect in the marijuana debate.

Next, drug overdose deaths have risen sharply in the country by 30% in 2020 with over 93,000 deaths. A large driver of those deaths were the result of the synthetic opioid fentanyl as it has been frequently mixed into other drugs. The pandemic also played a role in this as people who were receiving treatment or wanted it had difficulty accessing it early on. Isolation and other life disruptions also fueled the uptick. Betsy McKay, senior writer at the WSJ, joins us for the rise in overdose deaths.

Finally, public health officials are once again worried about superspreader events as we see lagging vaccination rates and rising Covid cases. With less mask wearing and social distancing, people are going out more and attending larger gatherings. Studies have shown that 10 percent of people infected with Covid could be responsible for 80 percent of the spread. Denise Chow, science reporter at NBC News, joins us for more.

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