Lawmakers in the U.S. House of Representatives have introduced three new bills to make state-legal marijuana businesses eligible for federal small business services, including loans, disaster relief and grant programs. The package of legislation is aimed at establishing parity for cannabis businesses, which are currently prohibited from receiving federal aid due to marijuana still being classified as a Schedule I controlled substance. The country’s legal cannabis industry nevertheless now supports nearly 320,000 full-time jobs in the U.S., according to industry estimates. With more states pursuing cannabis legalization, a growing number of legitimate small businesses are excluded from critical @SBAgov programs. The measures are largely similar to legislation introduced by the lawmakers in 2019, with some small changes.
Ben Adlin, Marijuana Moment, 04/20/2021 15:46:00