After almost 100 years, the country that invented the federal cannabis ban seeks to end it.
A divided congress approved on Wednesday a bill that seeks to decriminalize and tax cannabis at the federal level, in a framework of significant social pressure towards discriminatory policies that have prevailed for decades.
The Judicial Committee approved the proposal with 24 votes in favor and 10 against. If this proposal is approved, cannabis would be removed from the Federal Controlled Substances Act and would allow each state to decide its own regulations.
The vote of the majority of senators indicates that there is a common agreement between both parties to reform the national cannabis policy. The federal ban also has a negative impact on the emerging businesses of legal cannabis. Among them: the difficulty of accessing loans, banking system and research.
On this matter it has been tried to legislate, however, a law this year, to allow cannabis businesses to access the banks, has not passed.
However, not everything has to do with money. This law also aims to erase all sentences related to the traffic, use and illegal distribution of this plant.
In addition, it would establish a 5% tax on all products with which it is intended to repair the most affected communities with the so-called “war on drugs”.
Despite the support, the future of the bill is uncertain. What is certain is that he has a better chance of being approved in a Senate chamber controlled by Democrats than by Republicans. Some of them already demonstrated against.
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