Yo, peep this! Ohio, the state of drama and debate when it comes to that sticky icky, is making waves in the cannabis world. Who would’ve thought? While they’re still trying to figure out how to fully legalize recreational cannabis after the voters gave it the thumbs up, there’s a new development that’s catching national attention.
So check it, Dave Joyce, a Republican in the House, has come through with a federal marijuana legalization bill that actually makes sense! It’s called the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act, and it aims to legalize interstate cannabis commerce, set up IRS policies for the industry, and establish a federal tax-and-regulate framework. And get this, it’s got support from both Republicans and Democrats!
Representatives Lori Chavez-DeRemer, Brian Mast, Earl Blumenauer, and Troy Carter are all co-sponsoring this bill. It’s about time they put aside their political differences and realize that we need to make some changes when it comes to weed. This bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) to remove federal criminalization for those following state cannabis programs. And it goes even further by endorsing interstate marijuana trade and proposing a federal tax on cannabis sales to fund regulations and enforcement.
Representative Joyce, who’s also co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, knows what’s up. He wants to respect states’ rights when it comes to their cannabis laws. He’s tired of the feds getting all up in our business and messing things up. Medical research is suffering, legit businesses are getting screwed over, and law enforcement is wasting their time on something that should be legal already. In his own words, “The STATES Act does what every federal bill should do—help all 50 states succeed.”
So what does this bill actually say? Well, it acknowledges that states and tribes should have the power to establish their own restrictions on cannabis to support small businesses, regulate health and safety, and align with community values. They know that states can’t handle regulating interstate commerce all on their own, so the feds need to step in and make sure that illegal weed doesn’t end up in places where it ain’t supposed to be.
To make this happen, they’re proposing a system to oversee and enforce the regulations. And they want to slap a federal tax on cannabis sales to cover the costs. But don’t worry, they’re saying that the tax should be low enough so it doesn’t make the prices go even higher than what the states are already taxing. They just want to make sure they got enough money for testing, enforcement, policing, youth prevention, and substance abuse prevention and education. Seems fair, right?
Now here’s where it gets interesting. This bill would allow for the transportation of cannabis across state borders from one legal jurisdiction to another. But hold up! It also says that the origin and destination jurisdictions can still impose their own reasonable restrictions within their borders. So you can’t just be bringing weed from one state to another without following their rules. Gotta respect the local laws, my friend.
And here’s another thing that the bill addresses. Right now, the cannabis industry is getting screwed over by section 280E of the IRS code. It’s preventing them from claiming federal tax deductions like any other regular industry. But this bill says “nah” to that. It wants to make sure that the money made from those sweet Mary Jane sales doesn’t get hit with section 280E. Finally, some justice for our hardworking cannabis business owners!
But wait, there’s more! This bill also talks about how the FDA needs to keep regulating cannabis products when they’re marketed as drugs, food items, dietary supplements, or cosmetics. And they don’t want any funny business either. They’re saying that you can’t mix marijuana with “adulterated” products like alcohol and tobacco. They want to make sure that everything is safe and legit.
Now, this bill isn’t all sunshine and rainbows. It still says that if you’re doing illegal things with weed, like manufacturing, producing, possessing, distributing, dispensing, administering, or delivering it in violation of state or tribal laws, you can still get busted by the feds. So don’t be thinking you can just do whatever you want and get away with it.
But overall, this bill is a step in the right direction. It recognizes that the states should have the power to make their own cannabis laws and that the feds need to step back and let them do their thing. It’s about time they realized that we’re not messing around anymore. We want our weed legalized and we want it now!
So let’s hope that this bill gets some traction in Congress. It’s time for them to listen to the people and make some real changes when it comes to cannabis. We’re tired of being treated like criminals for enjoying a little greenery. It’s time to legalize it and let us live our lives. Let’s light up those J’s and celebrate the progress we’re making. Stay lit, my friends!