Lawmakers Push For Federal Law To Align With States' Marijuana Legalization

Representatives from Colorado and Oregon are looking to align state-level laws which allow the recreational use of marijuana with federal regulations, which currently consider marijuana use and possession a criminal act.

Colorado Rep Jared Polis and Oregon Rep Earl Blumenauer have introduced two new bills that would reclassify marijuana similarly to alcohol and tobacco while also taxing the drug at a federal level.

Worries About New Administration

The current disconnect between state and federal laws regarding marijuana use have created a problem for states whose populations have voted to legalize the drug.

Business owners worry that the federal government could eventually crack down on pot laws, which would make their businesses illegal. While the Obama administration has taken a hands-off approach to marijuana, allowing states to determine their own marijuana regulations, presidential elections in 2017 could usher in a new administration with a different view.

Federal Level Taxes

The Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act calls for the removal of marijuana from the government’s illegal drugs list and transfers the oversight of the drug to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The Marijuana Tax Revenue Act would tax recreational marijuana products at a federal level, allowing the government to benefit from drug sales.

Related Link: Marijuana Legality Gets Hazy For Colleges

Bills Will Face Scrutiny 

However the bills will face a great deal of resistance in Washington, where lawmakers have been hesitant to legalize the drug at a federal level in the past.

As marijuana gained traction over the past five years, similar bills were introduced in congress, only to be rejected. Still, some say the drug’s growing industry could be a powerful incentive for lawmakers to consider the latest marijuana bills.