U.S. Senator Thom Tillis (R-NC) recently announced his support for a comprehensive regulatory framework for marijuana, similar to that of tobacco.
US Senator Tom Tillis (R-NC) (photo credit: Al Drago / Getty Images).
Senator Tillis emphasized the need for a federal approach to ensure safety and consistency in the burgeoning cannabis market in a recent interview with Green Market Report, saying “We have to understand that this is a market that is going to exist and it’s going to persist, so the federal government needs to figure out a safe way to allow this market to occur.”
In making his remarks, Tillis is now the first GOP member of the US Senate to endorse federal marijuana legalization, although there are a few that support their state’s marijuana law or other reforms such as the SAFER Banking Act to allow marijuana banking.
Tillis said he believes the SAFER Banking Act, which passed the Senate Banking Committee in September, but has yet to receive a floor vote, should not be passed until a legal framework is in place.
“Banking, to me, is one thing we should consider—but not until we have a federal framework that states can choose to opt into or out of”, said Tillis.
When it comes to the spattering of different state-level marijuana laws, Tillis says “We’ve got to get this under control. We have a majority of states that either have recreational or medical marijuana. We have to understand that this is a market that is going to exist and it’s going to persist, so the federal government needs to figure out a safe way to allow this market to occur.”
