Two congressional Republican lawmakers introduced a bill to federally legalize marijuana. The congressional bill will also protect banks that service state-legal cannabis businesses. Finally, it will ensure military veterans are specifically permitted to use marijuana in compliance with state laws.
The Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act is being sponsored by Reps. David Joyce (R) and Don Young (R).
The main objective of the legislation is to federally deschedule cannabis. It is similar to past proposals but this one takes things one step further. It includes language on legal protections and mandates for federal studies into medical cannabis. Although it does not include social justice provisions to repair past harms.
The co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus released a few statements in a press release. Saying that with over 40 states acting on cannabis legalization, it’s past time for Congress to recognize cannabis prohibition is not the will of the American people.
Provisions of the Proposal
In the proposal, marijuana will be removed from the Controlled Substances Act. This will free up states to enact legalization. States will be able to import and export cannabis across state lines.
The development of cannabis regulations will fall to the Food and Drug Administration and the Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau. In one year after enactment, the rules will be issued.
Another provision of the measure stipulates that banks working with marijuana businesses cannot be penalized by federal regulators. This is similar to a standalone bill that cleared the House in April. But it has not made any progress in the Senate.
The legislation also specifies that military veterans will be able to use, possess and transport medical cannabis in compliance with state law. It’s unclear why this is necessary if marijuana is federally legal, and veterans comply with state laws.
It also states that physicians can discuss medical marijuana use with veterans. They can also recommend veterans for participation in programs involving medical marijuana.
This congressional bill will take steps to modernize laws by removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and allowing the VA to prescribe medical marijuana to veterans. It will also permit state-legal cannabis businesses to utilize traditional financial services.
Finally, the proposal calls on the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to conduct a study on the effects of medical marijuana on people that are in pain. Then it calls on the NIH to issue a report on the findings within 180 days of the completion of the study. The NIH would also need to study the relationship between treatment programs involving state-approved medical marijuana, the access of individuals to such programs, and a reduction in opioid abuse.
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