A bipartisan group of members of Congress are making a new effort to pass legislation that would block the federal government from interfering with states that have legalized cannabis.
The STATES Act does not seek to legalize marijuana, but instead proposes an amendment to the Controlled Substances Act that would shield people who follow state laws.
As many as 33 states and D.C. have legalized recreational or medical cannabis, but businesses and individuals in those states are technically violating federal law. The proposed legislation would resolve that discrepancy and still allow states without blocking states that want to keep marijuana prohibitions.
“This is a mainstream, federalism approach to a conflict that must be resolved,” Senator Cory Gardner (R-Colo.) told Cheddar. “Even with a 60-vote threshold [in the Senate], this legislation will pass .... Let's get a vote; let's have a vote. Let's show the American people that we can actually solve problems."
The legislation, whose acronym stands for Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States Act, was first proposed last year by Gardner and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) in the Senate, and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Rep. David Joyce (R-Oh.) in the House. The measure was defeated in the waning days of the last session of Congress.
But the bill’s backers are confident that the measure has the support it needs to pass this time around.
“We are convinced this is not only the right solution, it is the right time politically,” Blumenauer told reporters.
The bill is not considerably different than last year's bill, but the landscape of marijuana legalization has changed quite a bit. Forty-seven states permit some form of marijuana, the Farm Bill effectively legalized industrial hemp at the end of 2018, and Gardner has consistently maintained that Trump is supportive of the bill.
Trump acknowledged the STATES Act last June, telling reporters he would "probably will end up supporting that,” according to The New York Times.
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who described himself as representing the “right edge of the cannabis reform movement” told reporters he anticipated "more collaborative discussions" with White House officials concerning the STATES Act now that former Attorney General Jeff Sessions was no longer the voice of the Department of Justice.
“Freedom is popular and I’m for more of it,” Gaetz added.
A big-screen adaptation of the anime “Chainsaw Man” has topped the North American box office, beating a Springsteen biopic and “Black Phone 2.” The movie earned $17.25 million in the U.S. and Canada this weekend. “Black Phone 2” fell to second place with $13 million. Two new releases, the rom-com “Regretting You” and “Springsteen — Deliver Me From Nowhere,” earned $12.85 million and $9.1 million, respectively. “Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc” is based on the manga series about a demon hunter. It's another win for Sony-owned Crunchyroll, which also released a “Demon Slayer” film last month that debuted to a record $70 million.
The Federal Aviation Administration says flights departing for Los Angeles International Airport were halted briefly due to a staffing shortage at a Southern California air traffic facility. The FAA issued a temporary ground stop at one of the world’s busiest airports on Sunday morning soon after U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy predicted that travelers would see more flights delayed as the nation’s air traffic controllers work without pay during the federal government shutdown. The hold on planes taking off for LAX lasted an hour and 45 minutes and didn't appear to cause continued problems. The FAA said staffing shortages also delayed planes headed to Washington, Chicago and Newark, New Jersey on Sunday.
Boeing workers at three Midwest plants where military aircraft and weapons are developed have voted to reject the company’s latest contract offer and to continue a strike that started almost three months ago. The strike by about 3,200 machinists at the plants in the Missouri cities of St. Louis and St. Charles, and in Mascoutah, Illinois, is smaller in scale than a walkout last year by 33,000 Boeing workers who assemble commercial jetliners. The president of the International Association of Machinists says Sunday's outcome shows Boeing hasn't adequately addressed wages and retirement benefits. Boeing says Sunday's vote was close with 51% of union members opposing the revised offer.
The stunning indictment that led to the arrest of more than 30 people — including Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier and other NBA figures — has drawn new scrutiny of the booming business of sports betting in the U.S. The multibillion-dollar industry has made it easy for sports fans — and even some players — to wager on everything from the outcome of games to that of a single play with just a few taps of a cellphone. But regulating the rapidly-growing industry has proven to be a challenge. Professional sports leagues’ own role in promoting gambling has also raised eyebrows.
Tesla, the car company run by Elon Musk, reported Wednesday that it sold more vehicles in the past three months after boycotts hit hard earlier this year, but profits still fell sharply. Third-quarter earnings fell to $1.4 billion, from $2.2 billion a year earlier. Excluding charges, per share profit of 50 cents came in below analysts' estimate. Tesla shares fell 3.5% in after-hours trading. Musk said the company's robotaxi service, which is available in Austin, Texas, and San Francisco, will roll out to as many as 10 other metro areas by the end of the year.
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