Monumental proposed federal legislation is about to be introduced in the United States Senate today. Sens. Rand Paul (KY), Cory Booker (NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (NY) are set to announce the introduction of the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and States' Rights (CARERS) Act. This is the first time a bill that would make medical marijuana legal under federal law has been introducted in the Senate. 

According to the Marijuana Policy Project, the bill would make production, distribution, and possession of marijuana (cannabis) for medical purposes that are legal under state law also legal under federal law. The proposed legislation would also remove barriers to scientific research (by moving marijuana from schedule I to schedule II), allow VA doctors to recommend medical marijuana, allow interstate transportation of CBD oils, and allow marijuana businesses access to the banking system. 

While we have not yet reviewed all the specifics of this proposal, it sounds like a big step in the right direction, one that has been a long time coming as public confidence in the war on drugs has eroded. The mass-incarceration of nonviolent drug offenders has been a complete failure, and has only managed to destroy communities and pilfer public coffers for the benefit of a handful of special interests and private profiteers while doing little if nothing to curb the problem of substance abuse. 

Here's an article from the Drug Policy Alliance. 

The Marijuana Policy Project has created a form to help people contact their Senators to encourage them to co-sponsor the bill, here.