With many groups looking to push Congress towards a comprehensive legalization, the lawmakers are slowly coming around. From celebrities to the Council of Mayors, more and more people are looking into the different perks of legalization. Despite what some might think, these lawmakers are not solely Democrats. Some of the Republicans are taking steps to achieve this as well. As such, the Republicans are pushing forward a new bill as an alternative to the Democratic bill.
Regulation Details
The ins-and-outs of this new bill involve a number of different details that will cause many changes surrounding cannabis. Firstly, the bill would federally deschedule cannabis and treat it in a similar manner to alcohol. Secondly, the bill would identify the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, making it the chief regulator for marijuana with respect to interstate commerce. The bill will also limit the Food and Drug Administration in its regulatory authority, with the intent being that it would have no more control over cannabis than it does for alcohol. I would also require the Bureau of Labor Statistics to issue a report to Congress on the industry.
Financial Details
The bill would also introduce a 3.75 percent excise tax to cannabis sales. The creators of the bill will use the tax revenue to support grant programs for community reentry, law enforcement and Small Business Administration aid of newly licensed businesses. The bill would also ensure that the SBA treats marijuana businesses the same as other regulated markets.
The bill would also change it so that raw cannabis would be an agricultural commodity. The U.S. Department of Agriculture would regulate this commodity. The bill would also allow state-licensed cannabis cultivators to continue having patient access and convince their participation in the legal market.
Legal Details
As the aforementioned agencies work to put these new rules in place, the bill would add “safe harbor” provisions to protect both patients and businesses that are in compliance with the state laws already in place.The bill would also expunge certain former federal cannabis convictions, provided they were non-violent convictions. The bill would also institute a mandatory 21 year age limit for recreational use while also prescribing some restrictions on advertising. In the same line of thought, the bill insisted veterans can’t face discrimination due to cannabis use. Additionally, the bill would authorize the doctors of the VA to recommend medical cannabis to veterans. The bill would also allow federal agencies to test for marijuana.
Hope
The introduction of this new Democratic bill shows that things are slowly changing towards comprehensive legalization. In fact, recently, a poll showed that a majority of Americans supported legalizing cannabis. Specifically, 68 percent of these adults support legalization. It is the hope of these activists that this means the change will soon come about.
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