New Legislation Would Force The Federal Government To Treat Marijuana Like Alcohol

A set of bills introduced in the U.S. Senate and House on Thursday would drastically reform the way marijuana is regulated at the federal level and allow state-legal marijuana programs to move forward without federal intervention.  Introduced by Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), the legislative package would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substance Act’s list of most dangerous drugs and set up a federal framework for regulating it. Doing so, the lawmakers say, would close the gap between federal and state-level marijuana policy, keep people out of jail for minor drug offenses and allow marijuana businesses to thrive.  “As more states follow Oregon’s leadership in legalizing and regulating marijuana, too many people are trapped between federal and state laws,” Blumenauer said in a statement. “It’s not right, and it’s not fair.” The package, known as the Path to Marijuana Reform, includes three separate bills: The Small Business Tax Equity Act: This would require that state-legal marijuana businesses be taxed similarly to other small businesses, and would remove regulations that bar cannabis businesses from claiming tax deductions and credits. The Senate version is co-sponsored by Rand Paul (R-Ky.), while the House version is co-sponsored by Carlos Curbelo (R-Fla.).  The Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act: This would remove federal penalties for marijuana sale and ...
Source: Healthy Living - The Huffington Post - Category: Consumer Health News Source Type: news