The bill that Schumer is drafting with Senate Finance Chair Ron Wyden of Oregon and New Jersey Senator Cory Booker is still being written. Though they avoided the term legalization when announcing their plan, it is expected to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances and tax and regulate it on the federal level while leaving states able to enforce their own laws regarding the drug.

Their proposal goes beyond decriminalization, which President Joe Biden voiced support for during his campaign, and may be a stretch for some Senate Democrats. But it taps into building public sentiment for legalization and moves by states to change marijuana laws, including Schumer’s home state…

Gallup found in November a record 68% of adults backing legalization, up 20 points from 2012, when Colorado and Washington became the first two states to fully legalize the drug. And a 2019 Pew poll found 91% say it should be legal at least for medical use. Republican voters are split nearly 50-50 on recreational marijuana, Gallup found, while Democrats, independents and younger voters strongly favor legalization.