MEET THE PRESS — Pictured: (l-r) Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) appears on “Meet the Press” in Washington, D.C., Sunday Dec. 14, 2014. (Photo by: William B. Plowman/NBC/NBC NewsWire via Getty Images)

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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) on Friday introduced legislation that would legalize marijuana at the federal level.

The bill is named S. 420 in a nod to cannabis culture.

Also known as the Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act, the bill would “responsibly legalize, tax and regulate marijuana at the federal level.”

NEW: I introduced S.420, my bill to legalize and responsibly regulate and tax marijuana. It’s time to bring our country’s marijuana policies into the 21st century, and my legislation is the way to do it. https://t.co/l5wKIWeZwV — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 8, 2019

The proposal, identical to a bill in the House, aims to ease the longstanding conflict between states where cannabis is legal in some form and the U.S. government, which categorizes marijuana as a dangerous illegal drug, similar to LSD or heroin.

The federal prohibition of marijuana is wrong – plain and simple. Too many lives have been wasted and too many economic opportunities have been missed. It’s time for Congress to respect the will of the voters in Oregon and nationwide, who are demanding common-sense drug policies. — Ron Wyden (@RonWyden) February 8, 2019

Former House Speaker John Boehner, who sits on the board of cannabis company Acreage Holdings, on Friday announced the formation of an industry-backed lobbying group that would push for national marijuana reforms.

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