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Going green: States would get free hand under pot bill
Source: Associated Press
Going green: States would get free hand under pot bill
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
February 8, 2019
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden proposed legislation Friday that would give states a free hand to allow legal cannabis markets without the threat of federal criminal intervention, the latest push in Congress to bolster the nation’s burgeoning pot industry.
The proposal, identical to a bill in the House, aims to ease the longstanding conflict between states where cannabis is legal in some form and the U.S. government, which categorizes marijuana as a dangerous illegal drug, similar to LSD or heroin.
“The federal prohibition of marijuana is wrong, plain and simple,” Wyden, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Too many lives have been wasted, and too many economic opportunities have been missed.”
It remains unclear if Wyden’s bill would have a chance of clearing the Republican-controlled Senate.
The Democratic majority in the House appears more open to considering proposals to ease federal restrictions on marijuana. The chamber has set a hearing next week on a bill intended to make banking services more widely available for pot companies.
-snip-
By MICHAEL R. BLOOD
February 8, 2019
Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden proposed legislation Friday that would give states a free hand to allow legal cannabis markets without the threat of federal criminal intervention, the latest push in Congress to bolster the nation’s burgeoning pot industry.
The proposal, identical to a bill in the House, aims to ease the longstanding conflict between states where cannabis is legal in some form and the U.S. government, which categorizes marijuana as a dangerous illegal drug, similar to LSD or heroin.
“The federal prohibition of marijuana is wrong, plain and simple,” Wyden, a Democrat, said in a statement. “Too many lives have been wasted, and too many economic opportunities have been missed.”
It remains unclear if Wyden’s bill would have a chance of clearing the Republican-controlled Senate.
The Democratic majority in the House appears more open to considering proposals to ease federal restrictions on marijuana. The chamber has set a hearing next week on a bill intended to make banking services more widely available for pot companies.
-snip-
Read more: https://apnews.com/98b7a272fd5a4477af453a4229781a08