In anticipation of federal cannabis reform, some lawmakers are ready to make changes
The committees promote the organization, specialization, and distribution of parliamentary work and contribute to the fulfillment of constitutional and legal attributions. The cannabis industry is full of these entities, which is not at all surprising considering the large number of regulations that are handled on a daily basis. With nationwide legalization becoming more and more realistic, a new Senate bill calls for the creation of a Federal Marijuana Commission.
Senator John Hickenlooper is taking advantage of a decade since Colorado voters approved marijuana legalization on the ballot to bring a new surprise. Yesterday, he announced that he is working on a bill in Congress that would fine-tune certain details necessary for federal cannabis reform. He expects the document to be presented soon to be given the highest possible priority.
Called the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment Act (PREPARE) Act, the measure would have the Attorney General take action by creating a federal commission dealing exclusively with marijuana. This entity would be responsible for providing recommendations on a regulatory system for cannabis, similar to what is currently in place for alcohol.
In April, Representatives Dave Joyce, Hakeem Jeffries, and Brian Mast introduced a very similar House companion bill. Hickenlooper made it clear that the Senate version is scheduled to be introduced when the chamber returns from recess in the coming weeks.
According to the Senator, the commission developed through the bill is similar to a task force he formed when he was Governor of the Centennial State. Having the knowledge of how to implement legalization at the state level, Hickenlooper believes he has enough knowledge to jump to the next step.