States vs. Federal Govt. in the Fight for Legalization
Even with California, the sixth biggest economy in the world, legalizing pot, incongruities in state and federal law hinder growth in the marijuana market.
That’s according to Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
“Californians, like most Americans, believe that it’s preferable to have the commercial marijuana market governed by licensed businesses, rather than by cartels and drug dealers,” Armentano said.
“But unfortunately these businesses, even when they are state compliant and locally compliant, largely cannot act in a transparent manner, because they do not have access to banking. They can’t run credit cards, and we see little accountability or transparency because of this conflict with the federal government.”
But there might be some progress. Legalizing marijuana on a federal level has gained bipartisan support in Congress, with Representatives Tom Garrett (R-VA) and Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) introducing a bill last March calling for an end to marijuana prohibition on the federal level.
The “Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017” would put legislative power in the hands of states and remove cannabis as a Schedule I drug. Knowingly taking marijuana to a state where it’s prohibited, though, would still be subject to criminal penalties.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/weed-across-america-federal-vs-state-laws).
The Trump administration announced a trade deal with the United Kingdom Thursday in grandiose terms, but with only limited details about what it achieves.
Why not tax the millionaires? That question won't seem to go away as Congress begins drafting a package of tax breaks and spending cuts for President Donald Trump’s “big, beautiful bill."
X, the social media platform owned by Trump adviser Elon Musk, is challenging the constitutionality of a Minnesota ban on using deepfakes to influence elections and harm candidates.
President Donald Trump repeated his attacks Monday against the chair of the Federal Reserve, demanding that the central bank lower its key interest rate.
