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 nations 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 Wydens 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.
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