Tagged With: Federal
Federal: Industrial Hemp Farming Act Pending in Congress
Federal legislation to amend the federal Controlled Substances Act to allow for the commercial cultivation of industrial hemp is pending in the United States House and Senate. The Industrial Hemp Farming Act of 2013 amends the Controlled Substances Act to exclude industrial hemp from the definition of marijuana. The measure grants state legislatures the authority … Continue reading
Federal: Members Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Eliminate DEA Marijuana Eradication Program
Congressmen Ted Lieu (D-CA) and Justin Amash (R-MI) have introduced legislation, HR 3518, to eliminate the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Domestic Cannabis Eradication/Suppression Program. The DEA program distributes funds to state and local law enforcement agencies for the purpose of locating and destroying marijuana cultivation sites. HR 3518 reads, “[B]eginning in fiscal year 2015, and for each fiscal year … Continue reading
Federal: Measures Pending To Restore Financial Aid Eligibility To Marijuana Offenders
Legislation is pending in the House and Senate to restore federal financial aid eligibility to minor marijuana offenders. In the House, H.R. 3561: The Fair Access to Education Act of 2015 would “exclude marijuana-related offenses from the drug-related offenses that result in students being barred from receiving Federal educational loans, grants, and work assistance, and for … Continue reading
Federal: Congress to Consider Respect States’ and Citizens’ Rights Act of 2015
Congresswoman Diana Degette (D-CO) has reintroduced legislation, H.R. 3629, the Respect States’ and Citizens’ Rights Act of 2015, to amend the Controlled Substances Act in a manner that allows marijuana-related businesses and consumers in states that have legalized marijuana to be safe from federal interference. According to a 2015 nationwide Pew Research poll, 59 percent … Continue reading
Federal: Support the SMART Enforcement Act
Washington Congresswoman Suzan DelBene is sponsoring H.R. 3746, the State Marijuana and Regulatory Tolerance (SMART) Enforcement Act to protect medical patients, recreational consumers, and licensed businesses in states that have legalized marijuana. Under this proposal, the US federal Controlled Substances Act would be inapplicable with respect to states that have legalized and regulated marijuana in a manner that addresses key federal priorities, such … Continue reading
Federal: Senator Sanders Introduces Bill To Remove Marijuana From Controlled Substances Act
Vermont Senator and Democratic Presidential candidate, Bernie Sanders has introduced legislation, S 2237, to remove marijuana from the US Federal Controlled Substances Act. The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015 would deschedule cannabis from the CSA, as is alcohol and tobacco. This legislation provides states the power to establish their own marijuana policies and … Continue reading
Federal: Congressional Members Introduce Legislation to Stop USPS Threats
Members from both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate have joined together to introduce the Marijuana Advertising in Legal States (MAILS) Act, which aims to halt threatening behavior by the United States Postal Service (USPS) toward state compliant newspaper publishers that wish to publish marijuana related advertisements in their publications. Last year, USPS sent … Continue reading
Federal: Urge Congress To Reauthorize Provisions Protecting Lawful Medical Marijuana Programs
For the past two years, Congress has passed annual spending bills which included a provision protecting those who engage in the state-sanctioned use and dispensing of medical cannabis from undue prosecution by the Department of Justice. However, members of Congress have yet to taken action to reauthorize this provision and therefore the law is set … Continue reading
Federal Court of Appeals Upholds Ban on Prosecuting State-Compliant Medical Marijuana Businesses
A three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit, covering nine western states, earlier this week ruled unanimously that the Department of Justice is barred by federal law from prosecuting medical marijuana businesses if those businesses are operating in compliance with state law. This decision came in an appeal in which … Continue reading
Federal: Bipartisan Coalition Introduces The Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2016
A bipartisan coalition of House and Senate lawmakers have proposed legislation, the Medical Marijuana Research Act of 2016, to expedite clinical investigations into the safety and efficacy of cannabis. Passage of the measures — House Bill 5549 and Senate Bill 3077 – would expedite federal reviews of clinical protocols involving cannabis. It would also eliminate existing production … Continue reading
