Crime & Police
It would still be illegal under federal law to import marijuana into a state where it is illegal from outside the U.S. The Dept. of the Treasury would be responsible for regulating interstate and international marijuana businesses, while the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would have the same powers to regulate marijuana as it does alcohol.
bill Progress
- Not enactedThe President has not signed this bill
- The senate has not voted
- The house has not voted
- house Committees
Conservation and ForestryCommittee on the JudiciaryIntroducedJanuary 9th, 2019
What is House Bill H.R. 420?
This bill — the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act — would remove marijuana from all schedules of the Controlled Substances Act, thereby making it legal, and allow states to choose how they want to regulate the substance. At the federal level, marijuana oversight would be transferred from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to the to-be renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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 House Bill H.R. 420
A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.
More Information
In-Depth: Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chair and founder of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, reintroduced this bill from the 114th Congress to end the federal prohibition of marijuana and regulate cannabis like alcohol:
"While the [H.R. 420] bill number may be a bit tongue-in-cheek, the issue is very serious. Our federal marijuana laws are outdated, out of touch and have negatively impacted countless lives. Congress cannot continue to be out of touch with a movement that a growing majority of Americans support. It’s time to end this senseless prohibition.”
Rep. Blumenauer is optimistic about the odds of this bill's passage in the current Congress, due to the 116th Congress's "pro-cannabis" attitude:
"This will be the most pro-cannabis Congress in history. We’ve had a number of people who’ve stepped up, who’ve taken a stand, campaigned on it. I’ve talked to over five dozen of the new people and they’re very open-minded or, actually very supportive.”
In the 114th Congress, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) (who's now the governor of Colorado) introduced this bill to end the federal prohibition of marijuana:
"Colorado has proven that allowing responsible adults to legally purchase marijuana, gives money to classrooms, not cartels; creates jobs, not addicts; and boosts our economy, not our prison population. Now, more than ever, it is time we end the federal prohibition on marijuana and remove barriers for states’ that have chosen to legalize marijuana. This budding industry can’t afford to be stifled by the Trump administration and its mixed-messages about marijuana."
This bill doesn't have any cosponsors in the current Congress. In the 114th Congress, it had the support of 19 cosponsors in the House, including 18 Democrats and one Republican.
Of Note: As of February 2019, 10 states and Washington, D.C. have legalized recreational marijuana for adults over 21. Additionally, 33 states have legalized medical marijuana.
Media:
- Sponsoring Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Press Release (116th Congress)
- Sponsoring Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) Press Release (114th Congress)
- The Cannabist
- Portland Mercury
- AP
Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Pixabay / Public Domain)
AKA
Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act
Official Title
To provide for the regulation of marijuana products, and for other purposes.
It’s about time we allow for legal weed across the country
👎🏻🇺🇸House Bill H.R. 420 AKA - Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act 🇺🇸👎🏻
THIS NOTHING MORE THAN A ANOTHER “COASTAL DEMOCRATIC” IN THE LEGITIMIZING THE SALE AND USE OF GATEWAY DRUG MARIJUANA
I’m strong in Opposition and don’t recommend the passage of the House Bill H.R. 450 AKA the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act — would remove marijuana from all schedules of the Controlled Substances Act, thereby making it legal, and allow states to choose how they want to regulate the substance. At the federal level, marijuana oversight would be transferred from the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to the to-be renamed Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Marijuana, Firearms and Explosives (ATF).
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.
SneakyPete.......... 👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻👎🏻. 2*7*19.......
It’s High time we come around to admitting the people that smoke weed don’t cause problems and don’t die in record number of DUIs and related traffic offenses. Not to mention the racial disparity in our drug laws which disproportionately affect African-Americans.
Keeps tax payer dollars for prison systems down for something less harmful than alchohol.
Cannabis will make everyone more introspective, that is certainly a net positive for humanity.
The scheduling of cannabis has had dire effects on our nation. It’s has put millions of people in prison while keeping billions out of the economy.
Cannabis should be regulated just like alcohol or tobacco. We should also make strides to subsidize small businesses so that industries such as big tobacco and big pharma don’t take over the cannabis industry.
Marijuana is incorrectly believed to be the gateway drug and has led countless lives to be locked away. Let’s legalize and tax it just like Alcohol and Tobacco. This could lead to actual scientific research on the effects on cannabis and different diseases. Let’s also encourage work places to treat it like Alcohol. If you are against legalization, then simply don’t smoke, but don’t stop other people from doing it because of your misunderstandings and prejudices. If it was as bad as some of the older generations made it out to be then all of these states where it’s been legal for years should have devolved into anarchy by now.
A majority of states have already legalized it in one way or another, so of course it should be legal federally.
Marijuana has been proven time and again to be less harmful to users and non users than alcohol. It’s time to end the needless prohibition caused by racism and ignorance.
Yes, cannabis prohibition must end. Support freedom and growing the economy, while putting a big carbon offsetting technology on the market.
Decriminalizing and descheduling marijuana, ending prohibition, would drastically improve the lives of millions, and if done correctly, would provide a huge boost to our economy. There is absolutely no reason for this plant to still be prohibited. Prohibition simply does not work.
This substance should never have been put on the Schedule 1 list in the first place. Legalization will help on several levels: Tax Revenue, Free up Jail space, Take away one the drug gangs' major cash crops, free up police to focus on more critical crimes.
As a veteran with PTSD I have seen improvement on my condition with the medical cannabis. Let all that served the country live a better life after retirement