Marijuana Makes Its Way To Congress

On Tuesday, the U.S. Senate will evaluate a bill designed to reform the way the federal government looks at

for the first time in history.

The bill also marks the first time the Senate will make a real contribution to the debate on marijuana reform. Despite the fact that several states have legalized medical and recreational marijuana over the past year, the federal government has maintained a "hands-off" policy regarding the drug.

If passed, the bill would end the federal government's prohibition on medical marijuana and would reclassify the drug as a Schedule 2 drug, something activists have been pushing for since legal weed was introduced in the U.S.

Additionally, the new rules would allow interstate transport of marijuana and give banks the ability to serve companies working with cannabis products.

Many say the bill will be impossible to pass through congress, as too many Senators are opposed to such radical reforms on federal policy.

spearheaded the development of the bill and says it will allow small businesses who deal in marijuana to operate without the fear of eventually being shut down or prosecuted by the federal government.

However, peers from his own party have already expressed their unwillingness to contribute to marijuana reform policies.

Even though many expect the bill to be shot down upon its introduction, activists and supporters of marijuana reform say the historic bill suggests that the end of prohibition is on the horizon.

The bill will force the topic on U.S. Senators who have remained mostly silent on the issue, and advocates for reform say a dialogue in Washington is the first step toward change.