Bills
| 3.23.22

Should Marijuana Be Legal Nationwide? (H.R. 1013)

Do you support or oppose this bill?

What is H.R. 1013?

(Updated June 17, 2021)

As its name suggests, the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act would regulate marijuana the same way that alcohol is regulated in the U.S., and allow states to dictate their own regulations.

This would be accomplished by removing marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances (thus removing pot from the list of felony drug offenses), and transferring oversight of marijuana from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.

The bill would also require any growers, sellers, or importers of marijuana to obtain a permit for any of these marijuana-related activities.

Argument in favor

The majority of U.S. states have already legalized marijuana in some form. This bill offers massive potential tax revenues from all of those sales.

Argument opposed

Increased tax revenue would be offset by higher public costs for health care, criminal justice, lost workplace productivity, and increased access to the drug for minors.

Impact

Anyone who uses marijuana products, marijuana dispensaries and producers, local law enforcement, the DEA, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and related federal regulators.

Cost of H.R. 1013

A CBO cost estimate is currently unavailable.

Additional Info

Of Note:

  • The federal government has stated that it would not challenge a state’s legalization of the drug if they obey certain guidelines, even though federal law does not allow the use of marijuana in any form. This inherent conflict has caused controversy and confusion.
  • Marijuana businesses have difficulties finding banks that will work with them for fear of violating money laundering regulations. In response, on Feb 14, 2014 the US Dept of Treasury issued guidelines for how financial institutions can serve marijuana business regardless of the fact that it is still technically illegal for banks to work with marijuana sale proceeds under federal law.  
  • Some studies indicate growing support for federal legalization. A poll conducted in Jan, 2014 indicated that “Fifty-five percent of those questioned nationally said marijuana should be made legal, with 44% disagreeing.”
  • At the same time, large segments of the population are not in support of legalization. According to a recent New York Times/CBS poll, “while 72 percent of people under 30 favored legalization, only 29 percent of those over 65 agreed.” 


Media:

(Photo Credit: io9.com)