A new Republican-led congressional marijuana legalization bill is imminent, Marijuana Moment has learned. The measure is being framed by advocates as a compromise between simple descheduling as proposed by other GOP lawmakers and wide-ranging comprehensive legislation that Democratic leaders are championing.
Marijuana Moment obtained text of the draft legislation, which is being led by Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC). The measure, titled the States Reform Act, is currently being circulated among stakeholders for feedback and is therefore preliminary, but a final version is expected to be officially filed later this month.
This is yet another development in what’s proved to be an active year cannabis reform on Capitol Hill. But the GOP angle is notable, as many have raised doubts about the prospects of Congress passing the far-reaching, large-scale marijuana bills that Democrats are leading in the House and Senate. Getting Republican buy in could prove critical to getting something over the finish line, and the Mace measure seems aimed at appealing to the states’ rights and business interests of conservative colleagues on her side of the aisle while also incorporating some restorative justice and tax elements largely favored by progressives.
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Republican-Led Bill To Legalize And Tax Marijuana Emerges As Alternative To Democratic Measures
