New legislation on Capitol Hill hopes to assist marijuana reform efforts

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The “landmark” bill is designed to better protect marijuana-legal states

2019 has already seen more marijuana activity on Capitol Hill than all of last year. It seems that almost every day a new measure is being introduced to provide better guidance for the industry and, although they don’t always survive, the attention marijuana is getting at the highest level of the government will certainly produce positive results. The latest measure hopes to protect states that have legalized marijuana from federal repercussions and was submitted by some of the most active cannabis supporters in Washington.

The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act was submitted yesterday by Representatives Earl Blumenauer and David Joyce. They appeared with the bill’s cosponsors, Representatives Joe Neguse and Barbara Lee, at a press conference to announce the filing.

A similar bill has been filed to the Senate, sponsored by Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Gardner.

The STATES Act looks to amend the Controlled Substances Act in order to protect individuals who comply with their state’s legal cannabis laws. It would prevent the federal government from intervening, even though federal laws differ from the local laws, and help quell many of the concerns of current cannabis consumers, as well as those who are interested in consuming in their legal jurisdictions.

Blumenauer said in a tweet about the STATES Act, “Today, I introduced the STATES Act w/ @RepDaveJoyce @SenCoryGardner @SenWarren. Our outdated cannabis laws have ruined lives, devastated communities and wasted resources. This is the next logical step for Congress to catch up w/ the rest of America & fix a badly broken system.”