Getting It Together on Marijuana Laws

BY: Chronic Staff | Recent News | October 25, 2021

Undeniably, there are different laws governing and regulating medical marijuana in different states. One cannot simply tell if a state has approved for medical or even recreational. This is due to the fact that it is not easy to generalize state-to-state tally since laws are different.

A state’s medical marijuana law may have some limitations on the products being sold and some even require a provider’s prescription to purchase at a dispensary. Others only require proof of residency.

As of February this year, 39 states plus Washington, D.C. legalized the use of medical marijuana. While in April, 18 states have fully legalized recreational use of marijuana only if it is sold in small portions by licensed dispensaries to customers 21 years old and above.

The trend in the state laws is in legalizing while still regulating cannabis. If this happens, the tax revenue can contribute to the states.

However, the federal government still considers marijuana to be a dangerous product subject to misuse. As of this writing, marijuana is still listed as a Schedule I substance under the Controlled Substances Act. On the contrary, the Food and Drug Administration approved some cannabis compounds like THC and cannabidiol for prescription use.

There are bills introduced to the U.S. Congress to rectify this. There are proposals that suggest removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, regulating it like alcohol. While the Sensible Enforcement of Cannabis Act seeks to protect lawful marijuana businesses and consumers from prosecution. Although The COVID-19 pandemic has interrupted the progression of these bills, SAFE Banking Act, passed the House in April which now awaits Senate action. It is waiting for a federal stamp of approval on cannabis commerce, giving freedom to federally controlled banks and credit unions to do marijuana business.