For years, marijuana legalization bills have died in Congress without getting a single hearing, let alone a floor vote. But that could change in 2018. A high-ranking Republican senator says that the Senate will “likely” consider legalization this year.

“Proposals to legalize marijuana should not be taken lightly,” North Carolina Senator Thom Tillis wrote in a letter to cannabis advocate Rod Kight. “As you may know, I am a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and this issue will likely be discussed this Congress.”

That’s huge news since getting a hearing with the Judiciary Committee is one of the biggest hoops that any legalization bill must jump through before it can reach a floor vote. However, the move doesn’t necessarily mean that we will see an end to federal prohibition this year.

– Read the entire article at Civilized.