On April 25, 2018, Senators Cory Gardner [R-CO] and Elizabeth Warren [D-MA] announced that they would be introducing the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, a bill that would protect the rights of states, U.S. territories, and Native American Tribes to legalize and regulate cannabis without fear of federal interference.
On June 7, Senator Warren introduced the bill in the Senate and Representative David Joyce [-OH] introduced a companion bill in the House.
During a recent interview with Cheddar, Senator Gardner stated that he has spoken with President Trump who told him that he supports the measure and says that he would sign it if it were to make it through Congress and onto his desk.
Senator Gardner attempted to attach the STATES Act as an amendment to the First Step Act criminal justice reform measure on Tuesday but was blocked by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.
Outgoing Senate Judiciary Chair, Senator Charles Grassley [R-IA] then denied Gardner’s request for unanimous consent and called the measure inconsistent with federal law and a backdoor to legalization.
“This isn’t a fluke, the American people have spoken, and this is happening,” said Gardner in the wake of the amendment’s defeat. “I will not give up this fight.”
In October, former California Representative Dana Rohrabacher said that he had spoken with President Trump and was assured that federal cannabis reform would be addressed after the November 2018 midterm elections.
