Senator files new bill to federally legalize marijuana and regulate it like tobacco
A federal age requirement for marijuana sales would be set at 21 under the measure
Friday, July 31, 2020
Democratic senator Tina Smith (D-MN) filed a new bill to federally legalize marijuana, creating yet another potential avenue through which Congress could enact the policy change. Titled the “Substance Regulation and Safety Act”, it would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and direct several federal agencies to develop regulations for the plant. The bill would deschedule cannabis, require the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop rules that treat marijuana the same as tobacco, create a national research institute to evaluate the risks and benefits of cannabis, require the U.S. Department of Agriculture to impose quality control standards and mandate that the Department of Transportation study methods for detecting THC-impaired driving.