U.S. Republicans move to decriminalize marijuana at federal level

Cannabis product boxes are displayed at The Cannabis World Congress & Business Exposition (CWCBExpo) trade show in New York City, New York, U.S., May 30, 2019. REUTERS/Mike Segar

WASHINGTON, Nov 15 (Reuters) - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives introduced legislation on Monday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and eliminate legal hazards facing many cannabis-related businesses while regulating its use like alcohol.

Representative Nancy Mace of South Carolina, who is spear-heading the legislative effort, described the bill as a "compromise" with less onerous regulations than measures proposed earlier by other lawmakers including Democrats.

The legislation's path in the Democratic-controlled House was uncertain. Mace, a first-term lawmaker, said the measure has five Republican co-sponsors.

Adult use of cannabis is legal in 18 U.S. states and allowed medically in 36 states. But it remains illegal under federal law, which has deterred banks and other investors from involvement with companies that sell marijuana or related products.

"This bill would also support businesses, in particular small businesses. That's very important," Mace told a news conference. "If we were to pass this bill today ... businesses would operate and be legal and regulated just like alcohol."

Titled the States Reform Act, the Republican legislation would defer to state authorities on matters of prohibition and regulation.

It would prohibit marijuana use by those under 21, restrict advertising, protect access to hiring and benefits for veterans who have used cannabis and expunge the records of people convicted on nonviolent, cannabis-only related offenses.

The bill diverges in several important ways from draft legislation proposed in July by Senate Democrats including Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer.

Mace's bill would impose a 3% excise tax on cannabis, compared to an increasing Senate tax proposal that would top out at around 25%.

Where the Senate proposal would give the Food and Drug Administration a primary oversight role, the Republican legislation limits FDA involvement to medical marijuana and makes the Treasury's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau the primary regulator for interstate commerce.

Reporting by David Morgan; editing by Grant McCool

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

wraithtek on November 15th, 2021 at 22:25 UTC »

Senate Democrats introduced draft legislation in July, though as noted by the NYT at the time:

The legislation faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republicans are opposed, and it is unlikely to become law soon. President Biden has not endorsed it, and some moderate Democrats are likely to balk at the implications of decriminalizing a drug that has been policed and stigmatized for so long.

The Democratic-led House passed similar legislation in December, with a handful of Republicans joining to vote in favor. The vote was the first and only time either chamber had endorsed the legalization of cannabis, but the bill died at the end of the last Congress. House leaders plan to pass an updated version in the coming months.

At the end of the last Congress, Mitch still had his Senate majority.

Passage through the Senate is likely to be more tricky. Mr. Schumer would need to assemble 60 votes, meaning he would need the support of at least 10 Republicans. Though libertarian-leaning Republicans have generally supported ending the prohibition of marijuana, party leaders are likely to oppose the Democrats’ plan, particularly with its emphasis on restorative justice and government intervention in the cannabis industry.

“This new bill puts the cart before the horse,” said Senator Charles E. Grassley of Iowa, the top Republican on the Judiciary Committee. “It’s important that we have robust research and fully understand the good and the bad of marijuana use, especially in young people and over the long term.”

So no big credit to R’s in the House. Not like they’ve been busy governing any since the new Congress started.

neon_kid on November 15th, 2021 at 22:07 UTC »

If Biden were smart he would do what the Rs do, pass it through and take all the credit.

NandoElLocoTron on November 15th, 2021 at 21:57 UTC »

Man…. I don’t give a fuck who does it but just do it!