The federal government of the United States has clung to cannabis prohibition tightly for more than 80 years, holding out as long as possible as more than half of the country has enacted medical and adult-use laws since California put the first major crack in the mold in 1996 with Prop 215.
But progress is being made, and the era of federal cannabis prohibition appears to be coming to an end.
The passage of the 2018 Farm Bill removed hemp and hemp-derived CBD (less than 0.3 percent THC) from the Controlled Substances Act, allowing a valuable industry to return to the United States after decades of exile.
With hemp legalization solidified, the rest of the cannabis family stands next in line for a legal status update.
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, and Homeland Security will be holding a hearing at 10:00 a.m. on Wednesday, July 10 entitled, “Marijuana Laws in America: Racial Justice and the Need for Reform.”
“For the first time in recent memory, there will be a candid conversation in the Judiciary Committee about the failures of marijuana prohibition in the United States and how people have been impacted,” says NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “We look forward to working with the subcommittee to best inform the conversation in committee next week and the public at large on the implications of how Congress should move forward.”
Marijuana Moment reports that they have obtained, from anonymous sources, a list of individuals who have been invited to testify at the hearing including Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby and the president of Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, David Nathan.
The CEO of the Cannabis Trade Federation, Neal Levine, is also to appear at the hearing as the minority witness.
According to NORML, the committee is expected to take up ending federal cannabis prohibition and criminalization later this year, though whether they will consider existing legislation or draft new policies is currently unknown.
