Senate leadership took steps on Thursday to expeditiously pass a House-approved marijuana research bill later in the day—but at least one GOP senator has objected to the process, threatening to delay the vote, Marijuana Moment has learned.
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) initiated the process to pass the bipartisan “Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act” under unanimous consent on Thursday.
The process, known as a “hotlining” a bill, involves having both the Senate majority and minority leaders agreeing to advance the legislation without a roll call vote, giving all members a limited amount of time to register objections before moving ahead with a request for unanimous consent for approval on the floor.
But despite having repeatedly talked about the importance of promoting cannabis research, as the bill would accomplish, Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) objected on Thursday, his office confirmed to Marijuana Moment.
If there were no objections, the expectation was that the bill would have moved through the Senate, sending it to President Joe Biden’s desk for a final signature. That would mark the first time in history that a standalone cannabis reform measure would be enacted into law.
Cornyn’s office did not provide a reason for the
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