Senate Bill Seeks to Legalize and Tax Cannabis
The push for federal marijuana reform received a massive boost after a Democratic Senator filed a new bill to federally legalize marijuana in late July. Titled the Substance Regulation and Safety Act, the legislation was sponsored by Senator Tina Smith. If passed, it would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and direct federal agencies to develop a framework for regulating marijuana in the country. The legislation would de-schedule cannabis, and it would require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop rules that treat cannabis the same as tobacco and to create a national research institute to evaluate the risks and benefits of cannabis. The federal age requirement for marijuana sales would be 21. The bill would also require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to impose quality control standards and mandate the Department of Transportation to study ways law enforcement can detect THC-impaired driving. The text of the bill states that the de-scheduling provisions are retroactive and shall apply to any offense committed, case pending, or conviction entered, and, in the case of a juvenile, any offense committed, case pending, or adjudication of juvenile delinquency entered, before, on, or after the date of the enactment of this Act. https://www.cannabisnewswire.com/420-with-cnw-senate-bill-seeks-to-legalize-and-tax-cannabis-like-tobacco/