Federal Marijuana Bills To Keep An Eye On

Despite a less-than-friendly administration, a number of federal cannabis bills have recently been introduced to Congress. Here is a list of bills marijuana business owners should be keeping an eye on:

The Marijuana Justice Act

S.1689, sponsored by Senator Cory Booker (D-New Jersey), introduced August 1, 2017.

About: Booker's bill would exempt cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), the federal statute that governs almost every other illegal drug. In other words, it would effectively repeal the federal ban on marijuana. It would also expunges federal marijuana possession convictions, provide incentives to states to eradicate racial disparities in marijuana arrests, and create a fund for communities most impacted by the so-called War on Drugs.

The bill currently resides in the Senate Judiciary Committee, and has no co-sponsors. However, since more than half of all Americans now support legalization, the bill is less of a long-shot than one might expect.

Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act

H.2920, sponsored by Representative Steve Cohen (D-Tennessee), introduced June 15, 2017.

About: The CARERS Act would allow patients to access medical marijuana in states where it is legal without fear of federal prosecution. It is one of the most widely-supported marijuana legalization bills, with twenty-five co-sponsors.

The bill currently resides in three House committees: Energy and Commerce, Judiciary and Veterans' Affairs. There is also an identical bill in the Senate, S.683.

Veterans Equal Access Act

H.1820, sponsored by Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon), introduced March 30, 2017.

About: The Veterans Equal Access Bill would permit healthcare providers to prescribe, recommend, and discuss medical marijuana with veterans. Currently, Veterans Affairs doctors in medical marijuana states are prohibited from providing recommending marijuana as a treatment option.

The bill currently has 18 co-sponsors, and currently resides in the House Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Health.

Marijuana Effective Drug Study Act of 2017

S.1803, sponsored by Senator Orrin Hatch (R-Utah), introduced September 13, 2017.

About: If passed, Senator Hatch's bill would make it easier to research medical marijuana. In announcing the bill, Hatch said the country has experimented with a variety of state solutions "without properly delving into the weeds on the effectiveness, safety, dosing, administration, and quality of medical...