By Laurel Andrews
A bill that would end federal prosecution of medical marijuana in states where it has been legalized was introduced Monday in the U.S. House by Alaska Rep. Don Young and Steve Cohen, D-Tennessee.
The legislation, HR 1538, is the companion to a bill introduced in the U.S. Senate on March 10 by Sens. Rand Paul, R-New York, Kirsten Gillibrand, D-New York, and Cory Booker, D-New Jersey. The bills are identical in language, Young spokesperson Matt Shuckerow said Tuesday.
The Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States Act would reclassify marijuana from a Schedule I to Schedule II drug; end federal prosecution of medical marijuana in states where it is legal; allow banks to provide financial services to marijuana-related businesses that are operating legally under state law; and allow Veterans Administration physicians to recommend medical marijuana, among other provisions.
Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and the District of Columbia. Recreational marijuana is legalized in four states -- Alaska, Oregon, Washington and Colorado -- as well as the District of Columbia.
In a release, Young stated that his stance on medical and recreational marijuana “has always been an issue of states' rights.”
The statement reiterates sentiments made in 2013 when Young signed onto a bill that sought to protect marijuana users from federal prosecution.
Sponsor Cohen said in a release that “drug policy reform is long overdue, but I am pleased that today it is an issue that unites both Democrats and Republicans.”
