The Democratic-led House of Representatives passed a bill in April in a largely partisan vote that was called revolutionary for marijuana legalization. About two-thirds of voters support the decision, including the lion`s share of Republican voters — a sentiment largely maintained since another House vote in 2020. To make matters worse, the House of Representatives has twice passed its own comprehensive marijuana legalization program, known as the Mariuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act. This bill does not contain much of the regulatory structure that is part of the Senate bill and also provides for a different tax rate. Aside from full legalization, which may not have enough support to overcome Senate filibuster, there has been bipartisan support from this Congress for a bill that would grant federal protection to banks working with marijuana companies in states that have taken steps to legalize the drug. That`s partly because many state lawmakers with legal markets don`t yet support meaningful changes to federal law. Democratic Senator Jon Tester, for example, represents a state where weed is legal — Montana — and says he doesn`t support federalization. A handful of other Democrats told POLITICO they either oppose legalization or are undecided, including Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.) and Bob Casey (D-Pa.). Schumer would need all the Democrats plus ten Republicans to bring the bill past the finish line. Proponents of cannabis legalization have had success in the past articulating it with Republicans as a state rights issue, but some proponents of decriminalization are likely to be dissatisfied with the repeal of cannabis-related criminal convictions and the provisions of the equity grants law. But, as is the case with issues such as interracial marriage protection or access to birth control, bipartisan popular support doesn`t always lead to legislative progress, even though several states will consider their own changes to marijuana laws this fall.

On the campaign trail, some Democratic candidates, such as Senate candidate John Fetterman of Pennsylvania, embraced the issue of legalization and may have motivated voters on the sidelines in his swing state, but many others downplayed it to focus on issues such as the economy, public safety, and abortion rights. The Senate left Washington for the campaign season without responding to legislation that would end federal marijuana prohibition, leaving behind what a new Morning Consult/Politico poll leaves on the table as a popular policy proposal ahead of the midterm elections. The Democrats` long-awaited marijuana legalization bill appears to have no way of moving forward in the equally divided House after failing to garner the Republican support needed to overcome the 60-vote threshold of the 100-member House filibuster. But discussions on the bill could pave the way for future compromises. The bill has been a long time coming — Schumer, along with Senators Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Cory Booker (D-N.J.) proposed a discussion bill more than a year ago — and his chances of passing it in the Senate are slim. But the legislation will shape the discussion about cannabis legalization in the future, and parts of it will likely end up in other laws that could be passed before the end of the year. The House of Representatives has passed its own bill to legalize marijuana, and there are signs that marijuana legalization is gaining popularity among voters, including Republican voters. But as Democrats try to defend their majorities in Congress, they may choose to focus their remaining legislative efforts on issues that would have a greater impact on voters. An analysis by FiveThirtyEight found that the entire electoral impact of marijuana efforts is “small and fairly neutral.” While marijuana legalization has spread rapidly in the U.S. over the past decade, Capitol Hill hasn`t moved as quickly. Nineteen states now allow anyone at least the age of 21 to possess and use the drug, and 37 states have medical marijuana programs in place. National polls have consistently shown that about two-thirds of Americans support marijuana legalization, and support is even higher among younger voters.

The bill doesn`t have enough support to pass the Senate, which is split 50-50, with Vice President Kamala Harris giving Democrats the runoff. Nevertheless, the bill has sparked discussions among lawmakers who approach the issue from different perspectives. Schumer discussed the issue with the leading pro-legalization Republican in the House of Representatives, Rep. David Joyce (R-OH), the Washington Post reported.