Federal Policy

The Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act, a bipartisan House proposal filed last week, would facilitate the expungement of low-level federal cannabis misdemeanors.

The U.S. House Agriculture Committee held a hearing last week to discuss the state of the hemp industry and how the government can continue to support the crop.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill with bipartisan support that encourages medical cannabis research by easing the federal cannabis research application process.

The U.S. Senate’s long-awaited cannabis legalization bill was finally filed this morning by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Sens. Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Cory Booker (D-NJ).

The U.S. House passed a package of budget bills including one proposal to allow cannabis TV and radio advertisements in states where cannabis has been legalized.

President Joe Biden recently reiterated that he believes nobody should be imprisoned for “the use of marijuana” and said his administration is working on a “crime bill” to address the issue.

Democratic senators from four U.S. states sent a letter to President Joe Biden calling for his administration to deschedule cannabis and issue pardons to all individuals convicted of non-violent cannabis crimes. 

New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez introduced an amendment this week to the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act that would require the Department of Defense to study the therapeutic potential of psychedelics for veterans.

The House Appropriations Committee approved an appropriations bill that includes language blocking the FCC from sanctioning broadcasters who air cannabis advertisements in legalized states.

The House Committee on Appropriations approved a measure to keep the DOJ from using its resources to interfere with state-approved cannabis industries.

The SAFE Banking Act was removed from the COMPETES Act, a China competition bill, at the behest of Republican lawmakers who argued the cannabis banking reforms didn’t belong in the legislation.

The U.S. Supreme Court has decided not to hear cases regarding employers’ refusal to pay for medical cannabis as a part of worker’s compensation claims.

North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper (D) signed a bill legalizing pharmaceuticals containing THC so long as they have been approved by the FDA.

USDA Emergency Relief Program funds are not available for cannabis cultivators due to the plant’s federal status as a Schedule I Controlled Substance. Hemp farmers are not subject to the same provisions.

Despite President Biden’s campaign promise to reform federal cannabis laws, applicants interested in White House internships must disclose prior cannabis use, which could affect their eligibility even if the consumption took place in a legalized state.

The U.S. Conference of Mayors endorsed a resolution calling on federal lawmakers to pass the SAFE Banking Act and to legalize both medical and adult-use cannabis.

Bernie Sanders called the U.S. criminal justice system “racist” and “unjust,” and called out the Justice Department for focusing on cannabis instead of white-collar crimes and business offenses.

A recent Department of Justice report shows a continuous downward trend for federal cannabis arrests since 2010.

A Florida hemp business owned by an ex-Marine was denied its service-disabled veteran-owned small business designation by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs over concerns that its recognition might amount to a federal agency endorsing a federally illegal drug.

A YouGov poll found that 45% of Americans think cannabis should be federally legalized with 21% believing the decision should be left to the states, and 20% opposed.

The Biden Administration’s Department of Justice has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to not take up a question relating to company compensations for their workers’ doctor-prescribed medical cannabis.

Oregon Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D) blames the supply chain crisis on the federal zero-tolerance policy for cannabis consumption by commercial drivers, which disqualifies huge sections of the workforce.

A defendant accused of illegally cultivating cannabis was denied access to medically prescribed cannabis while out on bail.

Senators from both sides of the aisle are in support of adding the SAFE Banking Act to a separate bill, the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, aimed at easing manufacturing and supply chain issues.