Today in cannabis news: A federal cannabis legalization bill is finally introduced in the U.S. Congress, though perhaps not by who you might think; a bill to legalize medical cannabis statewide in Nebraska falls two votes short of defeating a filibuster; and in the midst of cannabis legalization waves in states throughout the U.S., a man in Mississippi faces a life sentence for simple possession.
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** L: First up: Following weeks of teasing a forthcoming federal cannabis legalization bill by U.S. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and a coalition of Democratic lawmakers, a bill has finally been introduced, though perhaps not by who you think.
Republican Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Don Young (R-AK) are co-sponsoring the Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act, which would federally legalize cannabis, safeguard financial institutions that serve state-authorized cannabis businesses, allow for interstate export and import, and guarantee that military veterans are expressly allowed to use cannabis in accordance with state statutes.
The bill’s primary objective is to deschedule cannabis at the federal level, which is akin to previous bipartisan initiatives, but goes further with verbiage on requirements for federal medical cannabis research. Notably, it lacks social justice and equity clauses to address the previous and ongoing detriments of the War on Drugs.
“This bill takes significant steps to modernize our laws by removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and allowing the VA to prescribe medical cannabis to veterans, in addition to finally permitting state-legal cannabis businesses to utilize traditional financial services,” said Rep. Young. “I call on my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to stand with us in this crucial effort.”
Congressional Bill To Federally Legalize Marijuana Filed By Republican Lawmakers
** F: Next up: KETV 7 Omaha reports that a proposal to legalize medical cannabis in the state of Nebraska has failed to pass the state Legislature, coming up two votes shy of breaking the filibuster, which required 33 votes.
Since it didn’t follow the state’s single-subject law, the Nebraska Supreme Court withdrew a voter initiative that would have required citizens to determine whether or not to legalize medical cannabis in September 2020. 196,000 signatures were gathered by organizers of the petition. State Senator Anna Wishart, who introduced LB 474, said proponents will now start a new petition drive to allow citizens to vote on the 2022 midterm ballot, noting that the ballot terminology would be a single sentence this time.
“People in the state of Nebraska have the right to medical cannabis for medical purposes, period,” Wishart said. Wishart believes it is preferable for politicians to discuss the problem rather than leaving it to the electorate. Some critics are concerned that if the debate goes to the electorate, it would succeed and open the possibility of recreational cannabis legalization.
“If we want to avert recreational marijuana we’re going to have to think about something very restrictive or we will see it everywhere and it will be bad,” said State Sen. Mike Flood.
https://www.ketv.com/article/its-beyond-frustrating-legislative-measure-to-legalize-medical-cannabis-comes-up-two-votes-short/36413621#
** L: Last up: As additional states modernize their cannabis policies every election year, a reminder of the importance of cannabis policy reform in the U.S. and that no individual should be incarcerated for cannabis can be seen in the Mississippi state Court of Appeals, where Allen Russell, aged 38, was sentenced to life in prison after being found in possession of approximately one and a half ounces of cannabis.
Medical cannabis legalization was passed in Mississippi in 2020, but recreational cannabis remains illegal in the state. In 2019, Russell received the sentence. Russell’s attorneys claimed on appeal that their life sentence constitutes “cruel and unusual punishment” that is “grossly disproportionate.”
According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), in Mississippi, “possession of between 30 and 250 grams is a felony punishable by a maximum of 3 years imprisonment and/or a maximum fine of $3,000,” However, if a person has already been convicted of a crime, the penalty may be significantly increased.
