Cannabis Legalization Bill Reintroduced in the Senate
A bill to legalize cannabis federally has been reintroduced in Congress, led by Democratic Senators Cory Booker (NJ), Chuck Schumer (NY), and Ron Wyden (OR). The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would completely remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and establish a Center for Cannabis Products to regulate production, labeling, distribution, sales, and other manufacturing and retail elements of the cannabis industry.
In a statement, Booker said, if approved, the legislation would “dismantle the unjust and outdated federal marijuana prohibition, establish a federal regulatory framework to protect public health and safety, expunge past convictions for low-level cannabis offenses, and deliver restorative justice to the communities most harmed by decades of failed drug policy.”
The measure seeks to instructing the Food and Drug Administration to establish labeling standards for cannabis products, including potency, doses, servings, place of manufacture, and directions for use; establish programs and funding to prevent youth cannabis use; and increase funding for comprehensive opioid, stimulant, and substance use disorder treatment.
“The over-criminalization of cannabis has destroyed far too many lives, disproportionately harming communities of color. Our Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act is necessary and would correct historical wrongs while investing in safety, research, workers’ rights, and banking accessibility for industry. The movement is budding, and I won’t stop until restorative justice is achieved. The American people overwhelmingly support the federal legalization of cannabis – it’s long past time the government caught up.” — Schumer in a press release
The proposal would retain federal prohibitions on trafficking cannabis in violation of state law and establish a grant program to help departments combat illicit cannabis; require the Department of Transportation to create standards for cannabis-impaired driving; direct the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to collect data on cannabis-impaired driving, create educational materials on best practices, and carry out public service ad campaigns; and incentivize states to adopt cannabis open-container prohibitions.
In a statement, Wyden said the “only reefer madness” he sees “is the continued federal prohibition of cannabis.”
“Our legislation is the most comprehensive proposal on the books to end federal cannabis prohibition while keeping public health and safety front and center,” he said in the statement. “The federal government needs to get with the times, and our bill is the way to do it.”
Additionally, the bill would transfer federal jurisdiction over cannabis to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau; eliminate the tax code’s restriction on cannabis businesses claiming deductions for business expenses and implementing an excise tax on cannabis products; establish market competition rules meant to protect independent producers, wholesalers, and retailers, and prevent anti-competitive behavior.
The measure also contains provisions to encourage cannabis research, prioritize restorative and economic justice for communities and individuals most harmed by federal prohibition and the War on Drugs, and language to strengthen workers’ rights, including removing unnecessary federal employee pre-employment and random drug testing for cannabis.
The proposal is co-sponsored by Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Gary Peters (D-MI), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ed Markey (D-MA), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Patty Murray (D-WA), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), and Peter Welch (D-VT).