A pair of congressional Republican lawmakers have introduced a bill to federally legalize marijuana.
The bill would also protect banks that service state-legal cannabis business and ensure that military veterans are permitted to use the plant in compliance with state laws.
The bill, dubbed the Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act is being sponsored by Reps. David Joyce (R-OH) and Don Young (R-AK).
“With more than 40 states taking action on this issue, it’s past time for Congress to recognize that continued cannabis prohibition is neither tenable nor the will of the American electorate,” Joyce, co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus (CCC), stated.
Under the proposal, marijuana would be removed from the Controlled Substances Act which would clear states to enact legalization. The plant could then be imported and exported across states but transporting it to states where such activity is unlawful would remain federally prohibited.
The FDA and the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau would be responsible for developing regulations for the drug. The rules will need to be “similar to federal rules regulating alcohol,” the text of the bill states.
“For too long, the federal government’s outdated cannabis policies have stood in the way of both individual liberty and a state’s 10th Amendment rights,” Young said. “It is long past time that these archaic laws are updated for the 21st Century.”
“This bill takes significant steps to modernize our laws by removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and allowing the VA to prescribe medical cannabis to veterans, in addition to finally permitting state-legal cannabis businesses to utilize traditional financial services,” Young said. “I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with us in this crucial effort.”
