GOP Legislators Introduce Law to Legalize Cannabis – Will This Bring the Nation closer to Federal Reform?

By Nina Zdinjak

Republicans have finally published their proposal to legalize marijuana!

Between the GOP legislature’s proposal for simple cannabis determination and the extensive Democratic laws, the new bill, led by Representative Nancy Mace (R-SC), appears to be somewhere in the middle, reports Marijuana Moment.

RELATED: The legalization of cannabis at the federal level isn’t happening anytime soon

The measure, entitled “State Reform Act”, is currently in a preliminary form, although a final version is expected to be submitted in November.

Photo by matt_benoit / Getty Images

RELATED: 10 Notable Republicans in Congress Support Cannabis Legalization

Some cannabis advocates think the new proposal is a smart move, as many don’t believe the Democrats’ sweeping bill has a chance to pass all chambers before being sent to President Biden for signature.

New draft highlights

The key points of the new 116-page draft include:

• Marijuana is being moved to the federal level and treated like alcohol;
• 2.75% excise tax on cannabis sales, with proceeds supporting various grant programs;
• The leading regulator of cannabis in terms of interstate trade would be the Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, with the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) responsible for some regulations. While the FDA’s authority would be limited, it would have no more control over marijuana than it would over alcohol, with the exception of medicinal cannabis;
• Raw cannabis would fall under the category of agricultural commodities and therefore by the. be regulated U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA);
• Some people with cannabis nonviolent crime may be eligible for deletion;
• Existing state-licensed marijuana operators would be Grandfather in the federal system;
• While federal agencies could continue to conduct drug testing for cannabis, veterans would be safe from state hiring discrimination based on marijuana use.
• Veterans Affairs Physicians (VA) would be specifically empowered to issue medical cannabis recommendations to veterans.

While the new proposal is more humble than the Democrats’, which may make it more passable, the big question remains: will President Joe Biden change his stance? So far, the president has opposed state legalization of marijuana, only backing decriminalization, legalizing medical use, and leaving everything else to the states.

RELATED: Gallup Poll: The vast majority of Americans support cannabis legalization … again

In any case, with a proposal from either party, it seems that some sort of federal marijuana reform is inevitable.

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and was republished with permission.