Chuck Schumer is not known to be a big supporter of the individual god given right to keep and bear arms.  In fact, Schumer kinda has a history of being a big time anti-freedom proponent.  This is where the wonderful law of unintended consequences comes into play.  From a USA Today article we can learn a little about some policy Schumer is looking to support, marijuana legalization.  By all indications, Schumer is planning on going forward with such a bill regardless of support from Biden:

During the 2020 presidential campaign, Biden – a leading Democratic proponent of tough drug laws during his long Senate career – was the only leading Democratic primary candidate to oppose federal legalization of the plant, saying more study is needed. While the president supports legalizing the drug for medical use and the decriminalization of possession, White House press secretary Jen Psaki told reporters last week, Biden’s “position has not changed” on full legalization since the campaign.

Schumer told Politico he respects Biden’s desire for more study on the subject, but he said “we will move forward” even if the president’s view stays the same.

One’s own personal view on the use of marijuana is quite moot in this case. People use it regardless of its status as an elicit controlled substance. While there are plenty of issues with the legalization of the substance, as illustrated by the decriminalization of it in states like Colorado and Washington, this is a freedom related subject. Personally, I don’t care for, never have used pot and was even recently scolded by an activist for referring to it as “reefer” and “dope”. I digress.  My only issue revolves around the fact that when I was walking through the streets of Seattle a few years back, all I smelled was weed. Wanting to keep my child from said substance is going to be a challenge since New Jersey, where I live, recently moved to decriminalize the drug. Marijuana use was supposed to copy-cat open container laws, as in using it in public is to be a “no no”, but that seems to have gone to the wind in certain areas of the country.

The subject is one of personal freedoms and not allowing the government to say what you shall and shall not do. The irony of the marijuana legalization efforts can be appreciated by pro-freedom persons, because the same groups that have stigmatized tobacco use support smoking dope. As if somehow there are no negative health effects to using marijuana? The push though is one that has great support, with the last legislative session having a House Bill pass concerning the decriminalization of weed, the MORE Act.

But what else would the passage of such a law do?

Having marijuana removed from the list of federally controlled substances will add to the list of persons eligible to purchase firearms. The federal law today does not allow a user of these controlled substances to own, purchase, or possess any firearms, making them a prohibited person. Even in states that have passed so-called decriminalization laws, opting to ignore the federal statute, still do not allow citizens to have their right to keep and bear arms. To quote firearms attorney Evan Nappen, “You can bang, or you can bong. But, you can’t do both”.

Schumer further explained this dynamic with Biden:

“He said he’s studying the issue,” the New York Democrat said when asked if he would introduce a legalization bill even if Biden opposes it. He added he wants to give the president “a little time” to research the question.

“I want to make my arguments to him, as many other advocates will,” Schumer told Politico. “But at some point we’re going to move forward, period.”

Schumer needs to be commended for supporting a law that will expand the rights of our citizens, removing thousands, if not hundreds of thousands or millions of Americans, from the prohibited persons list. Working to bring the important issues up is a great step for our country. Efforts from former Newark Mayor Senator Cory “Spartacus” Booker to bring forward a similar bill in the past was one that would have an appreciable effect on our criminal justice system. Overall, Schumer, Booker, et.al. are helping to support the ability for more people to own arms with this measure, and that may be first time many patriots can get behind anything they’ve done.

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