Washington, DC – Bipartisan momentum in Congress for cannabis reform continues to build with the introduction of legislation to protect the authority of states, territories, and tribes to determine the best approach to regulating cannabis within their borders. The National Cannabis Roundtable (NCR) supports the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act as a necessary step toward comprehensive, common sense cannabis reform.
“This is a significant development toward comprehensive bipartisan cannabis reform,” said Terry Holt, NCR spokesman. “As cannabis reform continues to expand in the U.S., states and territories are in the best position to determine what cannabis program works for them.”
47 states, Washington D.C., Puerto Rico, Guam, and a number of tribes have legalized some form of cannabis and/or marijuana-based products. 33 of these states have enacted comprehensive medical cannabis regulations and 10 of these states have enacted laws to include adult consumption of cannabis. Every month, lawmakers in these states, territories, and tribes consider updates to cannabis regulation via voter-initiated referendums or state legislation. As these jurisdictions continue to legislate on matters related to cannabis regulations, discrepancies between federal and state laws must be addressed.