South Carolina U.S. House Representative, Nancy Mace two weeks ago introduced on the House floor, the States Reform Act. A statement from her website:
“Today, only 3 states lack some form of legal cannabis. My home state of South Carolina permits CBD, Florida allows medical marijuana, California and others have full recreational use, for example. Every state is different. Cannabis reform at the federal level must take all of this into account. And it’s past time federal law codifies this reality,” – Rep. Mace
The new bill also called for the release and expungement of people convicted of nonviolent, marijuana-only crimes. Additionally, according to the bill, states can decide to legalize marijuana or prohibit it. Each state can also say how marijuana companies should advertise products within their districts.
Under the new bill, the Tax and Trade Bureau will oversee the recreational industry, the U.S. Department of Agriculture will regulate cannabis cultivation and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) will regulate medical marijuana products only. Like with alcohol, the Treasury Department’s Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB) will be the primary regulator of cannabis products in interstate commerce and the Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives Bureau (ATF) will serve as the primary law enforcement agency supporting the TTB’s work, exactly as it does in the alcohol space.
“Sections 202 and 203 clarify that raw cannabis is an agricultural crop subject to regulation by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). Section 203 also performs confirming amendments to relevant statutes to ensure that raw cannabis is treated the component crops of alcohol beverages in line with Section 201. It specifically treats raw cannabis like crops such as raw barley, hops, and grain, mirrors the treatment of industrial hemp under the 2018 Farm Bill to ensure continuity, and includes dual specialty crop designation for supporting small farming businesses.” #keepingitreal
