"Although two-thirds of New Jersey voters approved legalization last November, growing a single cannabis plant remains a third-degree crime, punishable by three to five years in prison," MPP said in a statement.

"What the safe banking bill does is it says, look, we're not going to punish banks that serve cannabis-oriented businesses. If we expect to see small businesses get into this industry at this point, we really have to have this protection in place," said Chris Lindsey, MPP's director of government relations.

An opinion piece from MPP Executive Director Steven Hawkins: Legalizing marijuana will put an end to one of the most pernicious justifications for the continued harassment, arrest, incarceration and death of POC in police custody.

"We are really enthusiastic to see the Senate majority leader put out a federal plan for legalization and we’re glad there’s this process because it is a complicated issue with all these systems of state regulation," said Karen O'Keefe, MPP's director of state policies.

"We look forward to seeing what the group comes up with, and will continue to advocate that the legislature replace cannabis prohibition with a just and equitable system of regulation for Marylanders in 2022," said Olivia Naugle, MPP's legislative analyst.

"It’s remarkable how much public support there is for medical cannabis in Nebraska despite extreme opposition from some Republican politicians in the state. It has to be credited to the families and patient advocates who have steadily made the case for compassion to their neighbors through years of educating and organizing. The politicians aren’t listening to these parents and suffering patients, but I think the voters certainly will," said Jared Moffat, MPP's campaigns manager.

“In return he’s done nothing. He hasn’t really even thrown a bone to cannabis reform advocates,” Matthew Schweich, the deputy director of the Marijuana Policy Project, told The News Station. ”So we’re not even seeing the smallest effort from President Biden to show that he’s listening to the American people, and I think that this is going to be a growing problem for him.”

"This study provides additional evidence that legalizing and regulating cannabis does not result in increased rates of use among teens. In fact, it suggests that cannabis legalization laws might be decreasing teen use," Matt Schweich, MPP's deputy director.

Since 2014, states with legal pot laws on the books have generated $8 billion in cannabis sales taxes, the Marijuana Policy Project estimates.

"We are grateful for the leadership of Sens. Booker, Schumer, and Wyden to end an eight-decades long policy failure and appreciate the opportunity to provide feedback as the sponsoring offices refine the bill," said Karen O’Keefe, MPP's director of state policies.