Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina, a Republican politician, has introduced a bill this week that proposes to end the federal prohibition on cannabis.
Called the States Reform Act, the legislation proposes to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and regulate it like alcohol.
The federal government would also impose a nationwide 21-year age limit for cannabis consumption, with an exception for medical use.
The bill will also let states make their own rules and laws around cannabis, including banning sales and use within state borders.
“I would categorize it as a compromise bill—it has something good for everyone, Republicans and Democrats,” Mace said. “I put a lot of thought in how we could make this kind of legislation palatable for people on both sides of the aisle and across every state in the country recognizing that all states are different.”
Mace said she picked a 3% tax rate to help legal cannabis companies stay competitive and “to reduce the opportunity for the black market.”
Under Mace’s vision, cannabis would be primarily regulated by the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the same as alcohol.
The Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau (ATF) would serve as the primary law enforcement agency over the industry. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration would regulate medical marijuana products.
