The bipartisan legislation reintroduced in Congress on Thursday seeks to eliminate state-legal marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act while allowing individual markets to handle most other regulations.
The latest version of the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, initially proposed in 2019, surpasses the ongoing federal rescheduling review.
The Act would:
- Exclude marijuana produced and sold by State and Tribal law from the Controlled Substances Act.
- The U.S. Food and Drug Administration would further classify marijuana products for safety and marketing standards, but they would not undergo the rigorous FDA preapproval process.
- Interstate commerce would be legalized.
- Federal prohibitions on distributing marijuana to those under 21 and employing individuals under 18 in cannabis-related work would remain intact.
The legislation is sponsored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Oregon; Rep. Troy Carter, D-Louisiana; Rep. Lori Chavez-DeRemer, R-Oregon; and Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio.