California Congressman to Propose the Cannabis States’ Rights Act

Last week, Donald Trump came out in support of State’s rights to decide on legalizing marijuana. The surprising move came after extensive talks with Colorado Senator Cory Gardner who has been adamant about holding the President to his campaign promise of allowing states to regulate and oversee the cannabis market.

Cory Gardner Hold Out Effective

Senator Gardner issued this statement last week, “Late Wednesday, I received a commitment from the President that the Department of Justice’s rescission of the Cole memo will not impact Colorado’s legal marijuana industry. Furthermore, President Trump has assured me that he will support a federalism-based legislative solution to fix this states’ rights issue once and for all.”

Many marijuana businesses were fearful of government intervention immediately following Attorney General Jeff Sessions decision to rescind the Cole Memo. Since then several state officials have been proactive about establishing protections for an industry that provides valuable tax revenue and hundreds of jobs.

Senator Gardner may have forced the President’s hand in this decision as he placed holds on key nominations within the Justice Department until this issue was resolved. Now that Trump has committed to supporting legislation in favor of the State’s right to choose, these holds have been lifted.

“Because of these commitments [to support marijuana legislation], I have informed the Administration that I will be lifting my remaining holds on Department of Justice nominees,” Gardner notes. “My colleagues and I are continuing to work diligently on a bipartisan legislative solution that can pass Congress and head to the President’s desk to deliver on his campaign position.”

Rohrabacher Proposes Cannabis States’ Rights Act

Well it hasn’t taken long for legislation to be drafted as there have been bills previously that have addressed this issue that are now being expounded upon. California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher, a strong supporter of legal marijuana reform, has announced he’ll be proposing the Cannabis States’ Rights Act very soon.

Congressman Rohrabacher stated that, “This is a fundamental issue of federalism and freedom, as state after state moves to take marijuana out of the hands of the cartels and place it in a competitive market where consumers can be assured of product safety. It also encourages more exploration of medical uses for cannabis, which has shown unquestionable promise in the treatment of multiple ailments and disorders.” In addition, “I look forward to working with President Trump and Senator Gardner to move my legislation through Congress,”

If the Cannabis States’ Rights Act were to pass it could prove to be a pivotal moment for cannabis industry in the United States. According to the Congressman’s chief of staff the bill is still undergoing revision that will tighten and clarify the language of the Cannabis States’ Rights Act and will be filed in the next couple of weeks. The new bill is expected to include protections for consumers complying with laws of Indian tribes, as well as states.

As of now, the the Cannabis States’ Rights Act has 45 cosponsors and that number is expected to grow. California Congressman Dana Rohrabacher has been a close ally of the President and if the conservatives can get onboard this could be an easy bill to pass.