Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York, plan to reveal a draft bill Wednesday to end the federal prohibition on marijuana — a move that comes as 18 states have already legalized pot for recreational use.
"The Senate has to catch up with the American people," Schumer said.
The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, expunge federal convictions for nonviolent marijuana offenses and establish a way to tax marijuana.
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A summary of the discussion draft, sponsored by Schumer, Cory Booker, D-N.J., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., says states would still be able to decide their own laws about marijuana.