A group of Republican lawmakers introduced a bill Monday to federally decriminalize and tax marijuana, adding an alternative to sweeping Democratic proposals for major marijuana reform and narrow GOP-backed efforts to deschedule the drug in the U.S. Rep Nancy Mace (R-SC) speaks with reporters after voting in the affirmative to hold former Trump … [+] adviser Stephen Bannon in criminal contempt at the U.S. Capitol Building on October 21, 2021, in Washington, DC. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images) Getty Images Key Facts Rep. Nancy Mace (R-S.C.) sponsored the bill, titled the States Reform Act, which would have the federal government treat marijuana in a similar manner to alcohol and remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. The legislation would implement a 3% federal tax on cannabis products to “fund law enforcement, small business, and veterans mental health initiatives,” according to a press release. The States Reform Act would also release and expunge the records of approximately 2,600 people convicted of “nonviolent, cannabis-only related” federal offenses. The bill defers to states on matters of regulating marijuana, and no state would need to change its current cannabis policies.
Anna Kaplan, Forbes, 11/14/2021 19:00:00