Continuing My Efforts to See Cannabis Declassified
Dear Friend,
This week, I continued my efforts to see cannabis removed from the Controlled Substances Act with a press conference with advocates and then participated in a policy briefing on marijuana and federal law. I ended the week welcoming a decision to lessen federal restrictions on medical marijuana. Last Saturday, I held a Team Cohen on Your Corner event in Frayser. All week in Washington, I have been meeting with constituents advocating for various causes with which I can help them as a member of Congress. I also announced $7.2 million in National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital and other NIH grants to the University of Memphis and the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC), commemorated the 56th annual Earth Day, condemned Russia’s assistance to Iran in the war with the United States, remembered my friend the songwriter Don Schlitz, sought answers about reports of the FBI director’s excessive drinking, advocated for wild horse protections, received historical research report on Trump’s claims about presidential interest in a triumphal arch in Washington and, back in Memphis Thursday night, attended the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis 55th Annual Steak n’ Burger Dinner. Also see a Friday Flashback, a Bill Day cartoon, and a weekly health tip. Keep reading and follow me on Bluesky, Facebook and Instagram to see what I am doing as it happens.
Continuing My Efforts to See Cannabis Declassified
Holding a Team Cohen on Your Corner in Frayser
Meeting with Constituents in Washington
Celebrating with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
Announcing $7.2 Million in NIH Grants to St. Jude
Commemorating the 56th Annual Earth Day
Meeting with Representatives of the Human Rights Campaign
Condemning Russian Aid to Iran in War with U.S.
Remembering My Friend, the Songwriter Don Schlitz
Seeking Answers about the FBI Director’s Drinking
Advocating for Wild Horse Protections
Finding No Evidence that Previous Presidents Sought a Triumphal Arch in Washington
Continuing My Efforts to See Cannabis Declassified
On Monday morning (4/20), I held a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol with representatives of Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP), the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), Drug Policy Alliance, Law Enforcement Action Partnership, Families Against Mandatory Minimums and other advocates for decriminalizing and declassifying cannabis at the federal level. Later, I participated in a policy briefing with men incarcerated for marijuana possession who had their excessive sentences commuted. The incarceration rate for African Americans for marijuana possession is 3.6-fold higher than for white people, despite similar usage rates. There are still 3,000 federal prisoners serving time for marijuana offenses, and I pledged to lead a letter to President Trump and his pardons czar, Alice Marie Johnson, seeking their release. On Thursday, I welcomed the Department of Justice decision to loosen restrictions on medical marijuana by rescheduling state-licensed medical marijuana products to Schedule III. See my statement on that development here.
Holding a Team Cohen on Your Corner in Frayser
Last Saturday, my District Office staff and I participated in a Team Cohen on Your Corner at the North Frayser Community Center to help constituents with federal issues involving the IRS, the VA, Medicare and Medicaid, housing and SNAP benefits, among others. I am pleased to deliver practical services to my constituents and doing it on a Saturday morning makes it convenient for those with busy weekday schedules. My office is always ready to help.
Meeting with Constituents in Washington
This week, I met with several constituent groups. We discussed issues involving early childhood education, nutrition programs, affordable child care and a variety of concerns I champion in Congress. In these meetings, I hear directly from constituents and community leaders about how federal policies are impacting their work and how we can continue working together to improve the lives of children from infancy onward, and I appreciate getting these updates.
Celebrating with the Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis
On Thursday evening, I attended the 55th annual Boys and Girls Clubs of Greater Memphis Steak n’ Burger Dinner and met some talented and dedicated young people. I also heard a phenomenal speech by a high school junior named Kennedy Davis who talked about how much she has been helped by the Girls Club in Memphis. I met with her last summer when she came to Washington and she shared with me a picture she took of us on that occasion. It made me feel very good to be a part of that young lady’s life. She is going to be an outstanding engineer. I was pleased to hear former University of Memphis Hall of Famer and the NBA’s Miami Heat world champion Earl Barron give an inspiring speech. Earl and I were both at Madison Square Garden for the NIT championship game in 2002, where he had a career high 25 points in the game against South Carolina. (See my “flashback” below.) I also had an opportunity to congratulate the clubs on the work they are doing.
Announcing $7.2 Million in NIH Grants to St. Jude
On Thursday, I announced $7.6 million in grants to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, the University of Tennessee Health Science Center (UTHSC) and the University of Memphis from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). St. Jude received the lion’s share with $7.2 million of that total. See my release on the grants here.
Commemorating the 56th Annual Earth Day
Wednesday was Earth Day and I recognized it by co-leading a Congressional resolution recognizing the efforts needed to protect the health of our planet. I am proud to join my colleagues to fight the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle safeguards, abandon proven conservation practices, cancel clean energy projects, and further entrench dependence on fossil fuels. I hope you took a moment on Earth Day to reflect on the image of a blue marble in infinite space that our astronauts on Artemis II gifted us as they flew home from the moon. The inspirational pictures bolstered my commitment to making our world more healthy in both large and small ways.
Meeting with Representatives of the Human Rights Campaign
As a longtime and consistent supporter of LGBTQ rights, I was pleased to meet with representatives of the Human Rights Campaign on Thursday. We discussed health insurance issues, PREP and legislation prohibiting discrimination.
Condemning Russian Aid to Iran in War with U.S.
As the senior House Democrat on the Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, also known as the Helsinki Commission, I questioned expert witnesses at a hearing Tuesday looking at the relationship between Iran and Russia. I expressed my concern that Russia is assisting Iran with intelligence against the United States, and that the Trump administration is turning a blind eye to collusion that threatens our troops. I also praised Ukraine’s willingness to help the U.S. counter Iranian drone technology using the hard-fought knowledge it has gained through years of war. See my release and opening statement at the hearing here.
Remembering My Friend, the Songwriter Don Schlitz
On Monday morning, I eulogized my friend Don Schlitz, the Grammy Award-winning Nashville songwriter who brought us chart-topping hits like “The Gambler” for Kenny Rogers and “On the Other Hand” for Randy Travis. See my brief remarks from the House floor here and a New York Times obituary here.
Seeking Answers about the FBI Director’s Drinking
The Atlantic magazine recently had a damning and explosive profile of FBI Director Kash Patel saying that he is regularly intoxicated on the job and often absent without explanation. We have come to expect a level of incompetence in the Trump administration, but this credible reporting suggests Patel is a threat to our national security. I joined Democrats on the Judiciary Committee in a letter to Patel seeking explanations after he sued the publication for defamation. See that letter here.
Advocating for Wild Horse Protections
The Humane Society recognized me as the “Humane Horseman of the Year” in 2022.. I am proud to work with wild horse advocates in protecting these iconic symbols of the Old West. On Tuesday evening, I spoke about that work at an American Wild Horse Conservation reception as a founding Co-Chair of the Wild Horse Caucus.
Finding No Evidence that Previous Presidents Sought a Triumphal Arch in Washington
I asked the Congressional Research Service (CRS) whether Donald Trump’s assertion that the country has needed a triumphal arch for the past 200 years was true. On Wednesday, I received its detailed report and its conclusion: “No specific statements referencing the need for an arch were identified that were attributable directly to a sitting President or their staff prior to 2025.” At my request, the CRS looked into a similar claim Trump made last year about the need for a White House ballroom after he demolished the East Wing, and CRS found that it too was untrue. See my statement about both CRS findings here. Earlier today, I co-led a letter to President Trump and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) Acting Chairman expressing opposition of the unauthorized use of NEH funds to build an arch outside Arlington National Cemetery and asking for more transparency should the project move forward. See my release and the letter here.
This is the 2002 NIT Championship hat I bought at Madison Square Garden the night the Tigers won.
A Bill Day Cartoon -- "Environmental Progress"
The Shelby County Health Department Opioid Coalition is holding a National Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day community event on Wednesday, April 29. While Fentanyl is a useful opioid medicine in the hospital setting, contamination in the illicit drug supply has contributed to our nation’s overdose crisis. The event is being held from 2 p.m. to 4 p.m. at Centenary United Methodist Church, 584 East McLemore Avenue. See additional details here.
“You got to know when to hold ’em
Know when to fold ’em
Know when to walk away
And know when to run
You never count your money
When you’re sitting at the table
There’ll be time enough for counting
When the dealing’s done” – “The Gambler” by Don Schlitz who passed last week in Nashville
As always, I remain
Sincerely,
|
Steve Cohen
Member of Congress