Could Medical Marijuana Be Legalized Federally Now, With Republican Senator Lindsey Graham Open To MMJ Legalization?

One of the top US Republicans, Lindsey Graham, has openly opposed the MORE bill passed by the United States House of Representatives on Friday. However, Lindsey admitted that he is open to legalizing medicinal cannabis.

Looking at Graham’s testimony, it can serve as an important message, both in terms of viable avenues for federal reform and as an echo of approval in South Carolina, Graham’s home state. Right now, South Carolina lawmakers are considering legalizing marijuana for medical use, and Graham’s testimony may be the nudge they need.

Graham made many claims during an interview with WCSC, a television station in Charleston, South Carolina. He acknowledged that so much had been said about the values ​​and benefits of medical marijuana. He claimed that he would be open to the idea of ​​legalizing medical marijuana if enough evidence could be presented to support those benefits.

While Graham’s support for legalizing medical marijuana is well appreciated, the movement continues to make significant strides. So far, the South Carolina Senate has passed a measure known as the South Carolina Compassionate Care Act designed to legalize medicinal cannabis. At the moment, the Subcommittee on Health and Environmental Affairs is supporting the bill, which should ensure it gains more favor from other agencies.

While Graham has no issues with legalizing medical marijuana, he has strongly opposed the MORE Act. Graham voiced his opposition to the MORE Act hours after it was passed by the US House of Representatives. The MORE Act marks the second time in its entire history that the U.S. has passed comprehensive legislation legalizing marijuana at the federal level.

The MORE act

The MORE Act was passed by the United States House of Representatives – legislation that would end the federal criminalization of cannabis and remove it from the list of illegal controlled substances. This will be the second time the bill has passed the House, although it now faces strong opposition in the Senate.

Jerrold Nadler, Speaker of the House Judiciary, introduced the MORE (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement) Act. The bill passed the house with 204 no to 220 yes.

Currently, cannabis is legal in 36 states for medical use and 19 states for adult use. If the MORE Act is enacted, it will be left to states to decide whether to legalize it in their territory. So far, the legal cannabis industry has generated $25 billion in revenue in the past year alone, up 43% since 2020. According to forecasts, the industry is now expected to reach a turnover of 65 billion US dollars by 2030.

Nadler reiterated in his opening remarks that if the law goes into effect, years of false wages for Americans, especially those of color, would be undone. He contended that the federal system of prosecution, incarceration and arrest, regardless of one’s conception of marijuana, whether for medical or recreational use, was nothing but unjust and unwise. Nadler went on to say that marijuana has long been treated as a criminal justice issue rather than an issue of public health and personal choice.

Troy Carter, a Louisiana Democrat, also confirmed that more than 90% of Americans will be legalized using some form of cannabis. They believe there are other important issues that are more important to the police than cannabis. It’s a costly proposition for police to track and arrest cannabis offenders when violent crime continues to rise across the country. The war on cannabis is a costly relic of the past, Carter acknowledges.

Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries also reiterated that there is a problem of mass incarceration in the United States, which he says is being fueled by the prison industrial complex. He confirmed that ex-President Richard Nixon’s collapsed drug conflict targeted Latinos and black Americans unevenly. He pointed out that it was a shame that the US imprisoned more people per capita compared to Russia and China. In his view, a stop to the cannabis ban by the federal government would be a giant step in the right direction.

The medical research law

Speaking of a step in the right direction, the United States House of Representatives just recently passed legislation that would provide the improvements needed to fuel medical marijuana research efforts. This, in turn, is then intended to bolster industrial markets and legalization efforts.

It’s important to note that the rest of the Senate had previously approved their own MMJ research legislation. Therefore, lawmakers from both chambers are expected to meet, settle their differences, and take decisive action.

The Medical Marijuana Research Act (HR 5657) passed the US House of Representatives by a vote of 343 to 75. It was noted that all votes against the bill came from Republicans.

According to the bill, the legislation would;

• Provide direction for competent researchers to study various marijuana stocks and flowers in state legal initiatives.

• Simplify the method for researchers wanting to research marijuana while maintaining anti-abuse measures.

• Improve the number of federal marijuana growers while accelerating the timeframe for approvals.

• Request the US Secretary of Health and Human Services to report on five years of research into the medical benefits of marijuana use

According to Paul Armentano, Associate Director of NORML, these logical regulatory changes are overdue and necessary. He went on to say that the variety of cannabis available for cultivation by federally licensed researchers does not adequately reflect the quality and type of cannabis products available on the legal market.

Conclusion

While there have been major improvements in the legalization of medicinal cannabis at the federal level, legalization of cannabis for adult and recreational use still faces significant resistance.

Although The MORE Act has passed twice, there is reportedly little chance of it passing the Senate. It’s popular that the bill needs at least 10 Republican endorsements for it to stand a chance. So far, only three Republicans have actively supported the bill. So it’s safe to say that Lindsey Graham isn’t the only one opposed to the MORE Act bill.

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