On the recordApril 19, 2021
I thank the ranking member of the Financial Services Committee for yielding. I rise in support of the SAFE Banking Act, which I am honored to introduce with my colleagues, Mr. Joyce, Mr. Perlmutter, Mr. Blumenauer, and others. It seems the war on drugs is a lot like so many of the other forever wars that this Congress confronts, deeply unpopular in all parts of the country except Washington, D.C. I commend the majority party for bringing this bill to the floor and allowing businesses that serve particularly medical marijuana patients the opportunity to access the U.S. financial system. There is an important part of this legislation that bears note. With the SAFE Banking Act, we will have an unprecedented opportunity for research and collaboration, which did not exist previously and which doesn't exist now. There are so many universities, medical centers, other research institutions that would like to partner with and work alongside marijuana businesses with the opportunity to improve health outcomes for patients and to bring relief to people who badly need it. I would implore my colleagues in the majority party to reach out to President Biden as I did to President Trump. Ask him to take executive action to remove marijuana from the list of schedule I drugs so that we can accelerate marijuana reform for the benefit of our fellow Americans and those who are in need and in pain and are counting on it.
