Change in the air regarding marijuana laws

President signals support for bill that would give states control

President Donald Trump made an interesting announcement in June that didn’t get much media attention, but could have serious implications.

On June 8, the president said he would likely support a bipartisan bill that would end the federal ban on marijuana, and that he would defer to states’ individual laws on marijuana legalization.

Currently, recreational marijuana is legal in nine states and in the District of Columbia, while medical marijuana is legal in 30 states.

The challenge is the fact that those laws are in direct opposition to federal law, where marijuana is still very much illegal.

For the most part, federal officials have been not been enforcing the law in states that have legalized marijuana.

But there are challenges for these businesses. Because of the federal prohibition, marijuana businesses have limitations on the types of financial services they can access, such as opening bank accounts or getting loans.

And at any point, federal officials could enforce the marijuana laws, challenging states’ ability to regulate marijuana laws on their own.

The Trump announcement has interesting timing. There is a bipartisan bill in the works between Sens. Cory Gardner, R-Colo., and Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., that would end the federal ban, and leave the decision of marijuana up to the states.

The bill would also allow related businesses to use the federal banking system.

At this point, it makes sense for the federal government to end the ban, and allow the states to make their own rules and regulations regarding marijuana.

It could, in theory, provide a taxable revenue stream that could be a benefit to cities, counties and states. And it would provide protection to these businesses — imagine the difficulties of running a business without using banking?

States should also have the ability to determine their own laws. This bill between Warren and Gardner would allow them to do so.

On Twitter, Gardner said, “Our bill does not legalize marijuana. Instead, it allows the principle of federalism to prevail as the founding fathers intended and leaves the marijuana question up to the states.”

According to a fact sheet on the bill, “The Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act ensures that each State has the right to determine for itself the best approach to marijuana within its borders.”

And the public support appears to be there. In October of 2017, a Gallup poll found that 64 percent of Americans supported legalization, with 72 percent of Democrats, 67 percent of independents and 51 percent of Republicans.

What do you think, readers? Does this bill make sense? Would you support states’ rights to regulate marijuana on their own?

Let us know. Send in a Letter to the Editor at letters@yumasun.com, or comment online at www. YumaSun.com.