U.S. Houses Passes the MORE Act Helping Cannabis Stakeholders
The U.S. House has passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act otherwise known as the MORE Act. The proposed bill removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.
The U.S. House has passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act otherwise known as the MORE Act. The proposed bill removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.
Sepcifically the bill:
requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees,
establishes a trust fund to support various programs and services for individuals and businesses in communities impacted by the war on drugs,
imposes an excise tax on cannabis products produced in or imported into the United States and an occupational tax on cannabis production facilities and export warehouses,
makes Small Business Administration loans and services available to entities that are cannabis-related legitimate businesses or service providers,
prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of certain cannabis-related conduct or convictions,
prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of a cannabis-related event (e.g., conduct or a conviction),
establishes a process to expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses,
directs the Government Accountability Office to study the societal impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis,
directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study methods for determining whether a driver is impaired by marijuana,
directs the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on the workplace, and
directs the Department of Education to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on schools and school-aged children.
The bill H.R. 3617 can be viewed here. The bill faces an unknown future in the U.S. Senate.
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.
New Congressional CBD Bill Introduced to Give Policy Clarity for CBD Products
Congress has introduced the CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act “that will establish federal standards for CBD food and beverage products to protect consumers and provide marketplace stability for farmers, producers, and retailers.”
Congress has introduced the bi-partisan CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act “that will establish federal standards for CBD food and beverage products to protect consumers and provide marketplace stability for farmers, producers, and retailers.” The bill is sponsored by U.S. Representatives Rice (NY-04), Griffith (VA-09), Craig (MN-02), and Crenshaw (TX-02).
According to the bill’s press release:
“While the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp-derived cannabidiol (CBD) from the Controlled Substances Act, it did not make changes to existing Food and Drug Administration (FDA) law or regulatory policies governing its use in FDA-regulated products. Since then, the market for CBD products has exploded, and CBD is ubiquitously available to consumers in oils, cosmetics, supplements, and foods, and it is even marketed in products for pets. The discrepancy between the Controlled Substances Act and FDA law has created a regulatory gray area in which CBD is widely available but unregulated – and considered illegal – by FDA.
The bipartisan CBD Product Safety and Standardization Act would allow FDA to regulate CBD as it would any other food ingredient and subject these products to enforceable safeguards to ensure accountability. It also charges the agency with establishing CBD content limits and packaging and labeling requirements and determining in which categories of food CBD is appropriate for use. This bill will help distinguish responsible players from bad actors that ignore federal requirements for quality, manufacturing, labeling, and claims, and it will bring safety and clarity to the market.”
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.