Under a newly filed bill, states in the U.S that have legal marijuana would be protected from the feds.
Congresswoman Rep. Diana DeGette (D-CO), introduced a bill on Monday. The bill, titled “Respect States’ and Citizens’ Rights Act” would block the federal government from taking action against states that have legalized marijuana.
The bill would give cannabis businesses and consumers in legal states peace of mind, protecting them from the federal enforcement of prohibition. It would also amend the Controlled Substances Act to exempt states with legal marijuana from federal intervention.
“Colorado’s marijuana-related business owners are just like any other legitimate business owners in our state, and are currently contributing more than one billion a year to our state’s economy,” DeGette stated.
She added, “There’s no reason why they should have to go to bed every night worried that the federal government could suddenly take it all away from them, and treat them like a criminal.”
She tweeted, “I just introduced legislation to block the federal government from enforcing its anti-marijuana laws in states where it’s legal. Colorado’s marijuana-related businesses contribute more than $1 billion a year to our state’s economy. They shouldn’t be treated like criminals.”
The bill states, “In the case of any State law that pertains to marihuana, no provision of this title shall be construed as indicating an intent on the part of the Congress to occupy the field in which that provision operates, including criminal penalties, to the exclusion of State law on the same subject matter, nor shall any provision of this title be construed as preempting any such State law.”
“As public support for legalization and regulation continues to rise, it is imperative that the hard fought progress we have made be protected from rogue U.S. attorneys, and this bill would serve as an important stop-gap measure until we end the federal criminalization of marijuana once and for all,” said Justin Strekal, the political director of NORML, to Marijuana Moment.
