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In a ground breaking turn of events, A Bi-partisan coalition of Senators has brought us one step closer to the federal legalization of medical cannabis with The Introduction Of The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion and Respect States ( CARERS ) Act. On March 10th, 2015, U.S. senators Rand Paul (R-KY) Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Kristin Gilibrand (D-NY) Introduced The CARERS Act, the first comprehensive medical marijuana Legalization Bill To Be Brought To The Floor In U.S history. Over half the American population lives in States Where cannabis has been legalized for medical use , including 23 states Including Washington DC, with an additional 12 Other States offering provisions for CBD dominant strains (for those who don't know CBD stands for Cannabidiol, One Of the active ingredients of the cannabis plant , used to treat seizures and spasms) and yet cannabis remains a Schedule I controlled substance. Still Completely illegal under federal law. The CARERS ACT aims to address the many current problems with the Clash Of Federal, And State laws regarding Medical Cannabis, including Reclassifying Cannabis For Medical Use, allowing veterans to have access to the medicine , eliminating barriers for research , and overhauling the banking laws allowing state licensed Business To Have Bank Accounts. Many advocacy groups including NORML, Americans For Safe Access, Drug Policy Alliance And Marijuana Policy Project helped in the development of the bill. Even though Medical Cannabis businesses operate legitimately within state regulations and laws, the medicine is still technically illegal under federal law, putting both patients and caregivers at risk for federal prosecution. A big part of the problem is the continued classification of cannabis as a Schedule I narcotic, deemed to have no medicinal value (Also To Be More Harmful Than Methamphetamine And Coacain) The CARERS ACT calls for the reclassification of cannabis into a less restrictive category that would allow research and offer protection to the millions of people who use the medicine. Furthermore the banking institutions Will Not Allow Medical Cannabis Businesses To Have Bank Accounts, Because Their Business Is Still Technically/Federally Illegal. This discrimination Makes Medical Cannabis A Cash-only business which can lead to potential public safety concerns and could lead to other challenges and complications. As co-sponsor Senator Booker Says "This bill we are introducing Seeks To write decades of wrong and unnecessary marijuana law's. Our federal government has long Overstepped the boundaries of common sense, fiscal prudence and compassion with it's marijuana law's, these laws must change." This argument is particularly Convincing When We take into consideration the children that benefit from The CBD-rich strains That Are Used To Treat Seizures or spasm-related conditions. Doctor Sanjay Gupta's "cannabis madness" 2014 Really Tugs at The Heart Strings. To think what these poor parents must go through, being forced across the country, relocate, or risk facing social services, or even jail time for giving their child potentially life giving/saving medicine. They deserve better than this! Thanks to provisions included In The 2014 Appropriations act, The stage has already been set for the federal government to act logically and compassionately in the best interest of the people when it comes to the legalization of medical cannabis. Buried deep in the 1600+ page document is a provision Detailing that state approved medical Cannabis Patients, Caregivers and business owners are no longer at risk for federal prosecution. While the Obama administration adopted This Hands Off policy during the last year, by calling an end to federal raids of dispensaries in States That Had Approved Medical Cannabis programs/Laws, The passage of this law Makes The Change Official. According to section 538 of the Appropriations act, no federal agencie is allowed to use it's funding to interfere with the implementation of medical marijuana law's. This means no more prosecution of medical marijuana patients, Caregivers, growers and business owners in states that Have Approved Licensed And Regulated medical programs. In response to the passing of this Bill In December, Bill Piper, a Lobbiest with the Drug Policy Alliance said "The war on marijuana is over" calling the Move Historic. Even still MOE Needs To Be Done To Protect Patients, Caregivers And Business Owners, which is where the CARERS Bill comes into play. It is challenging to obtain funding and conduct research, with a Schedule I Controlled Substance, and hard for veterans to get approval for use of cannabis to treat their PTSD. The banking conundrum also needs to be addressed: If medical cannabis businesses are legally Conducting In Their States , They Should Be Allowed To Have Bank Accounts Like Any Other Business In Their States. In February 2015 two other cannabis regulatory bills were also introduced to the U.S congress That Sought to include regulations for all cannabis use not just medical use :HR1013 (The regulate marijuana like alcohol act) and :HR1014 (The marijuana tax revenue act) The first bill introduced by representative Jared Polis (D-CO) Seeks To Remove Cannabis From The Controlled Substances Act and to revoked the DEA's power over its possession, production and sales. According to rep Polis "Over the last year Colorado has Demonstrated That By Regulating marijuana like alcohol takes money away from criminals, and cartels, Grows Our Economy And Keeps It Out Of The Hands Of Children.... It is time to replace the failed prohibition With A regulatory System That Works And Allows states and municipalities to decide for themselves whether or not they want legal Marijuana within their borders or not. On the same day representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) Also Introduced The Marijuana Tax Revenue Act with REP (D-CO) Jared Polis which Seeks to impose a federal excise tax on "Recreational" (Non-Medical) Cannabis which would become applicable should Congress (the federal government) decided to end it's prohibition. He explains "together these bills create a federal frame work to legalize, Regulate And Tax Marijuana, much like that witch we do with alcohol and tobacco, witch is becoming increasingly relevant as more and more states vote for full Cannabis legalization. Speaking of full legalization what is going on in Colorado, Washington, oregon, Alaska and Washington DC? So far the feds appear to be following a simular protocol to medical marijuana and staying out of state Regulated policy and practices, but cannabis businesses in these states are still Entirely Excluded From The Banking System. And thanks to IRS section 280-E which was passed by Congress in 1982 to punish drug traffickers, cannabis businesses are not allowed tax deductions or credits for business expenses. Congress ruled in 2007 that this tax provision even applies to businesses that are operating under state law, such as medical or recreational cannabis. Another pressing issue In States With Legalization is the need for cannabis lounges, as advocated by Keith Stroup, NORMAL Legal Counsel. In the state of Colorado for example cannabis Is legal for anyone over the age of 21, but the use of cannabis is Regulated in a similar way as alcohol: you can not use it in your car, a park,or any public place. Most hotels will not even let you smoke in their rooms (not without a huge up-charge anyway) With industry tourism at an all time high where are the visitors supposed to go to smoke or vaporize their cannabis? Thankfully though recently the first ever legal cannabis lounge has opened in Nederland Colorado called "Club Ned" suffice it to say that they are providing a awesome service and it would make logical sense if visitors and locals had a place to go and access to cannabis the same way we have access to bars for alcohol. So what does the future for the legalization of cannabis in America hold? It's hard to say really, But many activists are optimistic about it, as political attitudes seem to be going in the rite direction. There is more cannabis-friendly legalization circulating congress than EVER before and it has been receiving Bi-partisan support, as Bill Piper (Lobbiest for drug policy aliance) says "The politics have really shifted... Congress took a while to catch up with the legal states as well as the rest of America (for the most part I can't speak for everyone) But it's catching up." If your not exited about the Potential For Cannabis Reform, You Probably Should Be. As NORMAL Legal Counsel Kieth Stroup says, "It is a great time to be alive as a marijuana smoker, But our work is far from complete!" If you are looking to support the continued movement for full federal legalization, contact your local representatives and participate in one of the many cannabis advocacy groups in your area/state including, Americans For Safe Access, NORMAL, Marijuana Policy Project, Drug Policy Alliance, Stop the Drug war, and many more JAH BLESSED TO ALL
