Republican Congressman Introduces Bill To Remove Marijuana From The List Of Federal Controlled Substances

In an era where more and more states are legalizing marijuana for recreational use, the messaging about weed from Donald Trump’s White House has been downright terrifying to stoners across America. Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a long-time opponent to marijuana legalization, has hinted at the Department of Justice coming after the recreational marijuana industry in states like Colorado and Washington. This piggybacks on White House press secretary Sean Spicer saying more or less the same thing.

Yesterday Sessions gave a solid finger wag at legal marijuana, reminding those states that technically they are in violation of federal law since the DEA insists on marijuana being a Schedule 1 narcotic. So how does a nation ready to toked up on Cali Kush and Sour Diesel change that?

Through the power of the legislative branch. On Monday Republican Representative Tom Garrett from Virginia’s 5th District introduced legislation to federally decriminalize marijuana and make it a states-rights issue. via Richmond.com:

The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017 would take marijuana off the federal controlled substance list if it is passed.<
The release stated that the bill would fulfill “a responsibility to create a level playing field across the country.”

“Statistics indicate that minor narcotics crimes disproportionately hurt areas of lower socio-economic status, and what I find most troubling is that we continue to keep laws on the books that we do not enforce,” Garrett said in the release. “Virginia is more than capable of handling its own marijuana policy, as are states such as Colorado or California.”

This bill originally was introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., in 2015, but the legislation died.

Tulsi Gabbard, a Democrat representing Hawaii’s 2nd Congressional District, is the lead original cosponsor on Garrett’s legislation.

In an era of fractured politics, it’s nice to see there’s bi-partisan support on a bill that can potentially tilt MANY states towards full legalization, thus bolstering the economy by creating jobs and keeping people out of the criminal justice system for smoking joints. Let’s see if it happens or goes up in smoke like when Bernie Sanders introduced the same legislation to a Republican majority Congress in 2015.

Politics!

Brandon Wenerd is BroBible's publisher, writing on this site since 2009. He writes about sports, music, men's fashion, outdoor gear, traveling, skiing, and epic adventures. Based in Los Angeles, he also enjoys interviewing athletes and entertainers. Proud Penn State alum, former New Yorker. Email: brandon@brobible.com