The bipartisan Congressional Cannabis Caucus will soon file two marijuana-related bills, including a measure to establish nationwide marijuana banking and a bill to enhance and expand marijuana research.
Members of the Caucus recently refiled the STATES 2.0 Act, which would end federal cannabis prohibition in states that have voted to legalize it. The proposal would also legalize interstate marijuana commerce, revise IRS policy to treat marijuana businesses like other legal enterprises, and it would lay the groundwork for a future federal tax-and-regulate model.
Now, the group is preparing to file at least two other cannabis-related measures, according to Caucus Co-Chair Dina Titus. Those are the SAFE/R Banking Act, and the Higher Education Marijuana Research Act.
Recently Rep. Titus confirmed that the group is working on at least three proposals, including one to allow cannabis banking nationwide. More specifically, they plan to refile the SAFE Banking Act, potentially with an updated name and slightly updated language, within the coming days and weeks. One staffer told us that the goal is to have marijuana banking legislation filed by June at the latest.
On 4/20, Rep. Titus reemphasized her support for protecting cannabis businesses, making a post on the social media platform X saying “Happy #420. It’s time we pass legislation that protects our marijuana businesses.”
According to Rep. Titus, the Caucus also plans to refile the Higher Education Marijuana Research Act, which would allow researchers to obtain cannabis from state- and tribal-legal businesses. This would significantly expand access and reduce barriers to acquiring cannabis and cannabis products for research purposes.
“[R]ight now you can’t get much product to do research on except for some little scraggly plants from some place in Mississippi.. and yet you can go into a dispensary and find all these elaborate flavors and brands and buds”, says Rep. Titus. “Why are we not making some of that available for research and allowing universities to not be afraid that they’re going to get their federal money cut off?”
As with the STATES 2.0 Act, both the SAFE banking Act and Higher Education Marijuana Research Act are expected to be filed with bipartisan support.
