United States: Senator introduces bill to prepare country for federal legalization of cannabis

Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper officially introduced a bill last Thursday to prepare the United States for the federal legalization of cannabis.

The publication of this text coincides roughly with the the tenth anniversary of the vote in his home state, Colorado, in support of the legalization of cannabis for adult use.

The PREPARE Act for Act on Effectively Preparing Regulators for a Regulated Adult-Use Environment Following the End of Prohibition (Effectively Preparing Regulators for a Post-Prohibition Regulated Environment for Adults) would require the attorney general to establish a commission tasked with making recommendations on a cannabis regulatory system modeled after the one currently in place for alcohol.

«Ten years after Colorado pioneered the legalization of cannabis, Americans overwhelmingly support the same thing at the federal level,» John Hickenlooper said in a press release. «This bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 task force, will replicate our success at the national level.»

A decade after Colorado pioneered the legalization of marijuana, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level.

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Our PREPARE Act will establish a bipartisan, bicameral framework, modeled after Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, and will replicate our success nationwide.

— Senator John Hickenlooper (@SenatorHick) December 2, 2022

The measure is identical to a bill introduced in the House of Representatives by Representatives Dave Joyce, Hakeem Jeffries, and Brian Mast in April.

«I am delighted that the PREPARE Act has been introduced in the Senate, which not only makes it even more bipartisan but also bicameral, bringing it one step closer to becoming law,» Joyce said Thursday. «This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the tools they need to effectively engage in cannabis reform, regulate it safely and effectively, and address the harms caused by the The Failed War on Cannabis. »

«With these responses, Congress can develop an essential federal regulatory framework that not only respects each state’s unique needs, rights, and laws, but also ensures a responsible end to prohibition and a safer future for our communities. I was proud to lead the introduction of this common-sense bill in the House, and I thank Senator Hickenlooper for advancing it in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow co-chairs of the House Cannabis Caucus to pave the way for more comprehensive reform.»

Although Senator Hickenlooper expressed his opposition to the legalization of cannabis in Colorado in 2012 when he was governor, he has since acknowledged that many of his fears regarding the end of prohibition have not materialized, particularly with regard to the cannabis use among young people. And he is now a strong advocate for reform at the federal level.