Newly Introduced States Reform Act Proposes to End Current Federal Prohibition on Marijuana

Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has introduced The States Reform Act, which is aimed at becoming the first prominent policy push by a House Republican to end the current federal prohibition on marijuana.

Rep Mace said the following regarding her legislation in a newly released press statement:

“Today, only 3 states lack some form of legal cannabis. My home state of South Carolina permits CBD, Florida allows medical marijuana, California and others have full recreational use, for example. Every state is different. Cannabis reform at the federal level must take all of this into account. And it’s past time federal law codifies this reality,”

“This is why I’m introducing the States Reform Act, a bill which seeks to remove cannabis from Schedule I in a manner consistent with the rights of states to determine what level of cannabis reform each state already has, or not. 

“This bill supports veterans, law enforcement, farmers, businesses, those with serious illnesses, and it is good for criminal justice reform. Furthermore, a super-majority of Americans support an end to cannabis prohibition, which is why only 3 states in the country have no cannabis reform at all.  

“The States Reform Act takes special care to keep Americans and their children safe while ending federal interference with state cannabis laws. Washington needs to provide a framework which allows states to make their own decisions on cannabis moving forward. This bill does that.”

• The U.S. Department of Agriculture would oversee growers 

• The U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives would oversee the cannabis industry. 

• Medical marijuana would be regulated by the Food and Drug Administration,

• There would also be a 3% federal excise tax on all cannabis products, where these proceeds would be reinvested in small businesses, mental health and law enforcement

Lanton Law is a national boutique law and lobbying firm that focuses on healthcare/life sciences and technology. Specifically we have expertise in cannabis and CBD related issues.

If you are an industry stakeholder with questions about the current landscape or if you would like to discuss how your organization’s strategic initiatives might be impacted by either Congress, regulatory agencies or legal decisions, contact us today.

The Farm System Reform Act of 2019 Seeks to Level the Farming & Rancher Playing Field

Earlier this year, U.S. Senator Booker (D-NJ) unveiled The Farm System Reform Act of 2019 also known as S.3221. This proposed bill seeks to revitalize independent family farm agriculture and ensure a level playing field for all farmers and ranchers. 

The Farm System Reform Act of 2019 would, among other things, strengthen the Packers & Stockyards Act to crack down on the monopolistic practices of multinational meatpackers and corporate integrators, place a moratorium on large industrial animal operations, sometimes referred to as concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs), and restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements.

According to the Senator’s release, below are a few issues that this bill seeks to address:

• Place an immediate moratorium on new and expanding large CAFOs, and phase out by 2040 the largest CAFOs as defined by the Environmental Protection Agency

• Hold corporate integrators responsible for pollution and other harm caused by CAFOs

• Provide a voluntary buyout for farmers who want to transition out of operating a CAFO

• Strengthen the Packers and Stockyards Act to protect family farmers and ranchers, including:

  • Prohibit the use of unfair tournament or ranking systems for paying contract growers

  • Protect livestock and poultry farmers from retaliation

  • Create market transparency and protect farmers and ranchers from predatory purchasing practices

• Restore mandatory country-of-origin labeling requirements for beef and pork and expand to dairy products

• Prohibit the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) from labeling foreign imported meat products as “Product of USA”

At Lanton Law our food law practice helps farmers, ranchers and similarly situated stakeholders attain their strategic priorities. Contact us to learn about how either our legal or lobbying services can help you attain your goals.

Lanton Law Opens Cannabis Practice

Lanton Law believes that the cannabis market will continue to evolve and expand. Notwithstanding this market potential is the fact that medical and adult-use cannabis operations are confronted with a complex patchwork of state and federal laws and regulations that we assist a variety of businesses with. 

Whether you are a public or private cultivator, processor, distributor, dispensary, or an ancillary service related to the medical and/or adult-use cannabis business, we can help. 

Lanton Law assists our cannabis clients with the following services:  

• Offer strategic advice on the federal and state outlook

• Contract and lease drafting

• Corporate formation & governance

• Shareholder agreements

• Administrative representation

• Trademarks and copyrights

• FDA, USDA and FTC regulatory compliance 

• Banking and finance

• Licensing

• State and local permits

• Lobbying 

• Investor & early stage company issues

• Mergers and acquisitions

• Non-Compete and Non-Disclosure agreements

• Labor and employment

• General counsel services