United States: bill to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level

In an industry that is growing faster than ever—so much so that it’s compared to the Internet of the 2000s, and a new government that casts a shadow over the states' recent legislative reforms For Americans, there's a lot going on in the world of cannabis in the United States right now.

This, in fact, partly explains the bill proposed by a Republican member of the U.S. Congress. Thomas Garrett, from the state of Virginia, introduced a bill in Congress last week to decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. Each state would then have the right to decide whether or not to decriminalize cannabis within its borders.

The proposal, simply titled «Ending the Federal Ban on Marijuana» (Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017), is similar to the one filed by Bernie Sanders in November 2015. The new law would not legalize cannabis, but would remove it from the list of controlled substances. This would allow each state to enact its own legislation regarding the medical and recreational use of cannabis. Transporting cannabis into a state that has not legalized it would also remain a federal crime.

Representative Garrett is introducing this bill because, in his view, the federal ban on cannabis is not being enforced fairly. The poorest Americans are disproportionately targeted by the ban, which is not enforced at all in states that have legalized either the medical or recreational use of cannabis.

«Statistics show that petty drug-related crimes have a greater impact on the most disadvantaged areas,» he writes in a statement. «What I find most troubling is that we continue to keep laws that we don’t enforce. Virginia is more than capable of managing its own cannabis policy, just like other states such as Colorado or California.»

He adds that repealing the ban on cannabis would be a huge economic boost for states that decide to legalize hemp and cannabis. «This step would allow states to establish appropriate medical uses and cultivation guidelines for industrial hemp, which would provide a major economic boost to agricultural development in southern Virginia.».

Will the bill pass?

Yes, because it's all well and good to introduce a bill, but it still has to be approved. Bernie Sanders' proposal received no support, let alone a Senate hearing.

The cannabis landscape in the United States has changed significantly since 2015, with 28 states now having legalized the medical use of cannabis and 8 having legalized recreational use.

In the Senate, a bipartisan cannabis caucus has been formed to help lawmakers from both parties advocate for cannabis law reform. And Garrett’s proposal has already received three co-sponsors: Tulsi Gabbard (Hawaii, Democrat), Scott Taylor (Virginia, Republican), and Jared Polis (Colorado, Democrat).

We won't sugarcoat it: there's very little chance this will make it to Trump's desk. At the very least, it will serve as a reminder of his campaign promise to let the states enact their own cannabis laws.