federal cannabis bill Archives

Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), a Democratic presidential candidate, introduced a bill Wednesday that would repeal all federal penalties for growing and possessing cannabis, giving states the full freedom to decide their own cannabis laws.

The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2015 would remove cannabis from the federal controlled substances list, while retaining penalties for those transporting cannabis from states or jurisdictions where it is legal to those where it is not (as cities and states would still have the ability to prohibit the plant on a local level). This is the first bill ever introduced in the U.S. Senate that would end cannabis prohibition on the federal level.

Representatives Morgan Griffitth (R-Virginia) and Earl Blumenauer (D-Oregon) filed federal legislation this week that would reschedule cannabis and cannabidiol (CBD).

Specifically, the Compassionate Access Act would “reschedule marijuana from its current position as a Schedule 1 drug under the Controlled Substances Act, which asserts the drug has no medical use and limits the ability of researchers to study the drug’s safety and effectiveness as a treatment”. This would “allow the states to provide appropriate access to patients needing these legitimate, medical treatments under the supervision of their physician”.

According to a press release, the proposal is supported by the Epilepsy Foundation, the American Academy of Neurology, and Americans for Safe Access.

Bernie Sanders Introduces Bill in Senate to End Federal Cannabis Prohibition

Bipartisan Federal Bill to Reschedule Cannabis Introduced