Today GOP lawmakers in the U.S. Congress have officially unveiled a proposal to legalize and regulate cannabis at the federal level early this week. There’s doubt that Democratic cannabis legalization proposals would succeed without Republican support, despite Democrats having control of Congress and the White House.
The States Reform Act includes provisions to take cannabis off the Controlled Substances Act. Previous federal cannabis offenses would have to be wiped inside a year, and cannabis would be subject to a 3% federal excise tax. The FDA would have minimal regulating power, with the goal of having the same authority on cannabis as alcohol, with the exception of medical cannabis.
The bill aims to achieve bipartisanship by including equitable components like expungements for those with nonviolent cannabis crimes and implementing an excise tax, the proceeds of which would fund community revitalization, police departments, and Small Business Administration initiatives.
