Is This Bill The Next Step Toward Legalizing Marijuana In America?
Is This Bill The Next Step Toward Legalizing Marijuana In America?
The CARERS Act, which was introduced in Congress on Thursday seeks to prevent federal prosecution of marijuana production and use in states where marijuana has been legalized, which Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been attempting to do since he took office. Find out more here.
The CARERS Act, which was introduced in Congress on Thursday seeks to prevent federal prosecution of marijuana production and use in states where marijuana has been legalized, which Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been attempting to do since he took office. Find out more here.
On Thursday, June 15, a bipartisan bill called the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States Act, or CARERS Act, was introduced in Congress by Rand Paul (R-Kentucky), Corey Booker (D-New Jersey) and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-New York). The bill would primarily serve to protect states which have already legalized marijuana use and production and states that may yet choose to legalize it by proposing that the federal government not be able to prosecute marijuana-based businesses or individuals using it legally in these states.
Attorney General Jeff Sessions recently proposed that the Hinchey-Rohrabacher Amendment, which prevents federal funds from being used against organizations and people in states where marijuana is legal although it is still technically an illegal substance in the U.S. as a whole. The CARERS Act would prevent the repeal of that amendment. It would also move the U.S. toward legalizing the marijuana on a national level.
Other Goals The CARERS Act Seeks To Accomplish:
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According to Don Murphy, the conservative outreach director for the Marijuana Policy Project, this bill is a major step toward legal marijuana in the U.S., but it is also a protection of states' rights.
Polls show overwhelmingly strong support for medical marijuana, and it spans the political spectrum.The federal government should not be meddling in state laws that allow it or obstructing research into its many medical benefits.
Don Murphy
MarketWatch, June 17, 2017
But now, what we'd like to know is...
Do you think marijuana should be legalized in the U.S.?
Do you think marijuana should be legalized in the U.S.?