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Rosen Introduces Legislation to Ensure Cannabis Small Businesses Can Access SBA Loans and Programs Available to Other Small Business

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WASHINGTON, DC — Yesterday, U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV), a member of the Senate Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship, introduced the Fair Access for Cannabis Small Business Act to ensure that legally operating cannabis small businesses have access to loans and programs provided by the Small Business Administration (SBA). Currently, the SBA excludes all small businesses with direct or indirect products or services that aid the use, growth, or enhancement of cannabis from accessing SBA loans and programs.

“The unfair barriers to basic federal support and resources have hurt our state’s legally-operating cannabis small businesses,” said Senator Rosen. “This legislation will level the playing field so that cannabis small businesses – including those owned by people of color, women, and veterans– have access to the same federal resources and loans that other legal businesses are entitled to.”

“Lack of access to capital and banking services remain the greatest barriers to entry into the cannabis industry,” said Layke Martin, Executive Director of Nevada Cannabis Association. “We are grateful for Senator Rosen’s efforts to support small cannabis businesses by increasing access to SBA loans and programs.”

“Senator Rosen’s landmark legislation would help advance equity and innovation in the cannabis industry by leveling the playing field for independent cannabis operators,” said Khadijah Tribble, CEO of the U.S. Cannabis Council. If paired with the SAFE Banking Act, The Fair Access for Cannabis Small Businesses Act would create a regulatory framework that would ensure a vibrant startup scene and a diversity of players.”

“Thank you to Senator Rosen for putting forth this thoughtful piece of legislation that underlines the need for us to help promote small businesses in the cannabis industry,” said Kaliko Castille, President of the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA). “At MCBA, we believe that when we center small businesses in our policy making, it is Black and brown entrepreneurs that will benefit — as most of the largest cannabis companies are not minority owned. It is critical that small businesses in the cannabis industry have an opportunity to access the same resources as any other non-cannabis business.”

This legislation would ensure cannabis small businesses have access to SBA programs and loans like 7(a) loans, disaster loans, microloans, the Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program, and  SBA’s resource partners including SCORE, Veterans Business Outreach Centers, and Women’s Business centers.

Senator Rosen has long been a leader in the fight to ensure cannabis small businesses have access to banking services and SBA resources. Last year while questioning then-nominee for SBA Administrator Isabel Guzman, Senator Rosen highlighted the need for opening up SBA resources to legally-operating cannabis small businesses. She also sent a letter earlier this year urging Senate Appropriations to include language preventing the SBA from excluding from its loan and entrepreneurship programs legally operated cannabis small businesses in Nevada and across the country. Senator Rosen had also previously led a bipartisan letter to House and Senate Armed Services Committee leadership in December 2021 urging them to keep the SAFE Banking Act in the FY 2022 NDAA.

Senate Passes Bipartisan Marijuana Research Bill

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: The Senate passed by voice vote the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act, a bill introduced by Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) to expand research into marijuana-derived medications.

The goal of the bill – which passed the House of Representatives in July by a strong bipartisan vote of 325-95 under the leadership of Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.) and Andy Harris (R-Md.) – is to facilitate research on marijuana and its potential health benefits. The bill will accomplish this by streamlining the application process for scientific marijuana studies and removing existing barriers for researchers that frequently slow the research process.

“There is substantial evidence that marijuana-derived medications can and are providing major health benefits.  Our bill will make it easier to study how these medications can treat various conditions, resulting in more patients being able to easily access safe medications,” Senator Feinstein said. “We know that cannabidiol-derived medications can be effective for conditions like epilepsy. This bill will help refine current medical CBD practices and develop important new applications. After years of negotiation, I’m delighted that we’re finally enacting this bill that will result in critical research that could help millions.”

“I’ve heard directly from Iowans who are desperately in search of treatment options for conditions like child epilepsy. Unfortunately, many families have resorted to using untested, unregulated derivatives from the marijuana plant as a last resort to treat these conditions. Since 2015, I’ve pushed to expand medical research into marijuana derivatives such as cannabidiol to better understand their benefits and potential harms. This research is a critical step toward ensuring safe and effective therapies are also consistently regulated like any other prescription drug. I’m grateful that this bipartisan bill is now on its way to President Biden,” Senator Grassley said.

“The medical community agrees that we need more research to learn about marijuana’s potential health benefits, but our federal laws today are standing in the way of us finding those answers,” said Senator Schatz. “Our bill, which is now set to become law, will remove excessive barriers that make it difficult for researchers to study the effectiveness and safety of marijuana, and hopefully, give patients more treatment options.”

“After working on the issue of cannabis reform for decades, finally the dam is starting to break. The passage of my Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act in the House and Senate represents a historic breakthrough in addressing the federal government’s failed and misguided prohibition of cannabis.” said Congressman Blumenauer, founder and co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus. “As we have seen in state after state, the public is tired of waiting for the federal government to catch up. More than 155 million Americans—nearly half of our nation’s population—now reside in states where adult-use of cannabis is legal. For far too long, Congress has stood in the way of science and progress, creating barriers for researchers attempting to study cannabis and its benefits. At a time when more than 155 million Americans reside where adult-use of cannabis is legal at the state or local level and there four million registered medical marijuana users with many more likely to self-medicate, it is essential that we are able fully study the impacts of cannabis use.

Congressman Andy Harris said, “As a physician who has conducted NIH-sponsored research, I am pleased that this bill has finally passed and that scientists will be able to research what medical marijuana can and cannot do. While there is evidence to suggest that medical marijuana may be beneficial in the treatment of some diseases like glaucoma and epilepsy, only scientific research will prove the veracity of the many claims regarding efficacy for other diseases. Despite lacking much scientific research, over three dozen states have already legalized medical marijuana, and the American public deserves to know the effect modern marijuana has on the human body. While I support additional research for the use of medical marijuana, my position on recreational marijuana remains the same – I categorically oppose it.”

In addition to Feinstein, Grassley and Schatz, the Senate bill is cosponsored by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Jon Tester (D-Mont.) and Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska).

Background:

  • Cannabis containing more than 0.3 percent delta-9 tetrahydrocannabinol (commonly known as THC) is currently classified as a Schedule I drug. As a result, medical research is subject to stringent regulations that has impeded progress.
  • Few marijuana-derived products have been FDA-approved, and there is little available information about their interactions with other medications, appropriate doses or delivery mechanisms.
  • The goal of the Medical Marijuana and Cannabidiol Research Expansion Act is to ensure that research on CBD and other potentially beneficial marijuana-derived substances is based on sound science while also reducing regulatory barriers associated with conducting research on marijuana.
  • The bill also requires the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health to submit a report to Congress on the potential harms and benefits of marijuana use.

Voters in Maryland, Missouri Legalize Cannabis

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: On Election Day, voters in Maryland and Missouri approved their respective cannabis legalization ballot initiatives.

“A growing number of voters recognize that cannabis policy reform is in the best interest of public health and safety, criminal justice reform, social equity, and personal freedom,” said Toi Hutchinson, President and CEO of the Marijuana Policy Project. “State-level legalization victories are what’s necessary to move the needle forward at the federal level. That is how we build cannabis champions in Congress who are committed to taking meaningful action to put an end to prohibition once and for all.”

This marks the sixth consecutive election in which voters in multiple states approved cannabis measures at the ballot box. Heading into Election Day, 19 states had legalized cannabis for adults 21 and over. Now, there are 21 legalization states in the country.

In addition to Maryland and Missouri, there were ballot initiatives to legalize cannabis for adults 21 and over in three other states. The Associated Press has called defeats in Arkansas and North Dakota and it is unlikely the measure in South Dakota will pass.

The Marijuana Policy Project spearheaded the efforts in North Dakota and South Dakota and has also been instrumental in assisting the campaign in Maryland. MPP has played a central role in a majority of the state-level cannabis legalization victories over the past two decades including the campaigns in Colorado (2012); Alaska (2014); Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada (2016); Michigan and Utah (2018); and Montana and South Dakota (2020).

Ohio Congressman Dave Joyce Statement on White House Cannabis Announcements

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Congressman Dave Joyce (OH-14), a Republican Co-Chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, issued the following statement in response to the White House announcement regarding cannabis expungement and descheduling efforts:

“With nearly two thirds of Americans in agreement on the need for federal cannabis reform and 76% of Republicans in support of the federal government removing any obstacles if states choose to legalize cannabis, I’m pleased to see the White House begin to seriously engage on the topic. 

“Last year, my late colleague and Republican Cannabis Caucus Co-Chair, Don Young, and I called on the President multiple times to reschedule cannabis under the Federal Controlled Substances Act. I applaud the President for listening and rejecting the all-or-nothing approach demanded by so many in his own party.

“I also commend the President’s recognition of the need for state and local level expungement efforts. The bulk of petty, non-violent cannabis convictions take place at the state and local level, so to truly remedy the unjust war on cannabis, we must start there and vacate antiquated offenses that are no longer even considered a crime. More than 14 million cannabis-related records at the state and local level continue to preclude Americans from stable housing and gainful employment – two cornerstones of safe and prosperous communities.

“Republicans have long championed policies that help remove barriers preventing people from achieving their American dream, especially barriers created by the federal government. Incentivizing the expungement of these state and local records and addressing their unjust consequences, is — and can further be — a bipartisan cause. If lawmakers work across the aisle and build on the bipartisan consensus established by the HOPE Act and the PREPARE Act, we can take unprecedented action to transform lives, pave the way for millions of Americans to reach their full potential, and give lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the answers they need to legislate not only a responsible end to prohibition but also a safer future for our communities.

“Today’s announcement from the White House recognizes two truths: that continued and complete federal cannabis prohibition is no longer the will of the American electorate, and that the President knows his party’s all-or-nothing approach to cannabis reform has failed to produce results in Congress.

“The President has acted. Now it’s time for Congress to do the same. Passing bills that simply check the box on this issue won’t get the job done. We need legislation that can establish the bipartisan consensus necessary to become law. I look forward to continuing to work with my colleagues in both chambers to make that a reality and stand ready, willing, and able to work in good faith on this issue with anyone regardless of political affiliation.”

Wednesday, July 20th: Washington, D.C. Symposium on Cannabis, Criminal Justice Reform and Clemency

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: On July 20th, 2022, The Academy for Justice at the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law – in conjunction with the Justice Roundtable, the National Cannabis Roundtable and the Weldon Project’s MISSION [GREEN] – will host an in-person symposium on federal marijuana law, public safety and presidential clemency. Speakers at the event will include former H.H.S. Secretary Kathleen Sebelius, former Deputy Attorney General James Cole, U.S. Pardon Attorney Elizabeth Oyer, Members of Congress from both parties, directly-impacted advocates and other experts on cannabis policy and criminal justice reform.

Please note that this event is closed to press.

What:

Washington, D.C. symposium on cannabis, criminal justice reform and clemency.

When:

Wednesday, July 20th, 2022

Symposium Participants Will Include:

  • Kathleen Sebelius, former U.S. Secretary of Health & Human Services, and former Governor of Kansas
  • James M. Cole, former Deputy Attorney General of the United States, and Partner & Global Co-Lead of White Collar Practice with Sidley Austin
  • Elizabeth Oyer, U.S. Pardon Attorney and former Federal Public Defender
  • Weldon Angelos, President of The Weldon Project, Co-Founder of MISSION [GREEN], Music Producer, and Criminal Justice Reform Advocate Clemency Symposium
  • John Hudak, Deputy Director of the Center for Effective Management and Senior Fellow in Governance Studies, Brookings Institute
  • Clark Neily, Sr. Vice President of Legal Studies, Cato Institute
  • Nkechi Taifa, Convener Emeritus, The Justice Roundtable; Founder and Principal of the The Taifa Group, LLC
  • Amy Ralston Povah, Founder, CAN-DO Clemency
  • Kemba Smith, Co-Convener, The Justice Roundtable; Member, Virginia Parole Board and Virginia Criminal Sentencing Commission
  • Erik Luna, Amelia D. Lewis Professor of Constitutional & Criminal Law and Faculty Director of the Academy for Justice, Arizona State University
  • Douglas A. Berman, Newton D. Baker-Baker & Hostetler Chair in Law and Professor of Law; Executive Director of the Drug Enforcement and Policy Center, The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law; author of the casebook “Marijuana Law and Policy”
  • Robert A. Mikos, LaRoche Family Chair in Law and Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University Law School; author of the casebook “Marijuana Law, Policy, and Authority”
  • Cynthia W. Roseberry, Co-Convener, The Justice Roundtable; Deputy Director, ACLU Justice Division, American Civil Liberties Union
  • Ja’Ron Smith, Partner, Dentons Global Advisors, and former Deputy Assistant to President Trump and Deputy Director of the White House Office of American Innovation
  • Mark Osler, Robert & Marion Short Distinguished Chair in Law and Professor of Law, University of St. Thomas; Member, Justice Roundtable; former Assistant U.S. Attorney
  • Mark Holden, Board Chairman, Americans for Prosperity; Sr. Vice President, Stand Together; and former Sr. Vice President, Koch Industries

Majority Leader Schumer, Senate Finance Committee Chair Wyden And Senator Booker Release Discussion Draft Of Cannabis Administration & Opportunity Act

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Legislation To End The Federal Cannabis Prohibition And Unfair Targeting Of Communities Of Color

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:  Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Senate Finance Committee Chair Ron Wyden (D-OR) and Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) today released a discussion draft of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, proposed legislation that would help put an end to the unfair targeting and treatment of communities of color by removing cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances and empowering states to implement their own cannabis laws. 

Ending the federal prohibition on cannabis is becoming increasingly urgent as more and more states continue to legalize adult and medical use of cannabis. Despite the fact that cannabis is illegal under federal law, the majority of Americans live in a state where cannabis is legal in one form or another and more than 90 percent of Americans believe it should be legalized for either adult or medical use.

The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act would ensure that Americans in all communities will not be arrested or barred from receiving essential services for using cannabis where it is legal. This proposal would also ensure state-compliant cannabis businesses will be able to access the essential financial services and will preserve the integrity of state cannabis laws while providing a path for federal regulation.

Importantly, this legislative proposal goes a step beyond legalizing cannabis by expunging federal non-violent marijuana crimes and allowing individuals currently serving time in federal prison for non-violent marijuana crimes to petition a court for resentencing. It will also establish a fund to reinvest in the communities that were hurt by the War on Drugs and provide restorative justice to communities of color.

Senators Booker, Wyden, and Schumer thank Senator Murray and her HELP Committee staff for their work in developing the Food and Drug Administration and public health components of the Discussion Draft.

“I am proud to introduce our discussion draft of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, a legislative proposal aimed at finally putting an end to the federal prohibition of cannabis and addressing the over-criminalization of cannabis in a comprehensive and meaningful way,” said Majority Leader Schumer. “The War on Drugs has too often been a war on people, and particularly people of color. Not only will this legislation remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, but it will also help fix our criminal justice system, ensure restorative justice, protect public health, and implement responsible taxes and regulations.”

“Cannabis prohibition, a key pillar of the failed War on Drugs, has caused substantial harm to our communities and small businesses, and especially for communities of color,” said Senate Finance Committee Chair Wyden. “It’s as simple as this: Senators Booker, Schumer and I want to bring common sense to the federal government, end prohibition and restore the lives of those hurt most and set them up for opportunity.”

“For decades, our federal government has waged a War on Drugs that has unfairly impacted low-income communities and communities of color,” said Senator Booker. “While red and blue states across the country continue to legalize marijuana, the federal government continues to lag woefully behind. It is time for Congress to end the federal marijuana prohibition and reinvest in communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs. I am proud to introduce this landmark piece of legislation with Senator Wyden and Majority Leader Schumer that will finally turn the page on this dark chapter in American history and begin righting these wrongs.”

The text of the discussion draft of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act can be found HERE, a one pager can be found HERE and a detailed summary can be found HERE.

Summary of the discussion draft of the Cannabis Administration And Opportunity Act:

The War on Drugs has been a war on people—particularly people of color. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act aims to end the decades of harm inflicted on communities of color by removing cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances and empowering states to implement their own cannabis laws.

Federal cannabis reforms are especially urgent as more and more states legalize the adult and medical use of cannabis. To date, the adult use of cannabis is legal in 18 states, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam; and 37 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam, and the U.S. Virgin Islands have advanced laws to allow medical cannabis, with nearly all Americans living in a state where some form of cannabis is legal. These changes represent a dynamic shift in public opinion and support across the political spectrum. Today, more than 90 percent of Americans believe cannabis should be legal either for adult or medical use. Despite legalization under state law and broad public support for cannabis legalization, cannabis remains illegal under federal law.

By ending the failed federal prohibition of cannabis, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act will ensure that Americans – especially Black and Brown Americans – no longer have to fear arrest or be barred from public housing or federal financial aid for higher education for using cannabis in states where it’s legal. State-compliant cannabis businesses will finally be treated like other businesses and allowed access to essential financial services, like bank accounts and loans. Medical research will no longer be stifled.

But this alone is not enough. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act includes restorative measures to lift up people and communities who were unfairly targeted in the War on Drugs. The bill automatically expunges federal non-violent marijuana crimes and allows an individual currently serving time in federal prison for non-violent marijuana crimes to petition a court for resentencing.

The legislation also creates an “Opportunity Trust Fund” funded by federal cannabis tax revenue to reinvest in the communities most impacted by the failed War on Drugs, as well as helping to level the playing field for entrepreneurs of color who continue to face barriers of access to the industry. Importantly, the legislation also ends discrimination in federal public benefits for medical marijuana patients and adult use consumers. The legislation preserves the integrity of state cannabis laws and provides a path for responsible federal regulation of the cannabis industry. Like with federal regulations on alcohol, states can determine their own cannabis laws, but federal prohibition will no longer be an obstacle. Regulatory responsibility will be moved from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) to the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau (TTB), the Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF), as well as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to protect public health. Additionally, revenue generated by federal taxes will support restorative justice and public health and safety research.

U.S. Senators Cory Booker, D-N.J., Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., (collectively referred to in this document as the “Sponsoring Offices”) are committed to turning the page on this sad chapter in American history and undoing the devastating consequences of current discriminatory cannabis policies. As such, they are seeking feedback from the public as they finalize their proposal. The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act discussion draft is a detailed legislative proposal meant to spur a robust discussion among stakeholders in order to inform the Sponsoring Offices as they work to craft a final legislative proposal. The Sponsoring Offices request comments from stakeholders and members of the public, including social and criminal justice advocates, industry stakeholders, members of the public health and law enforcement communities, members of Congress, federal officials, state and local officials, and others for review and comment.

Hickenlooper, Bennet Push for SAFE Banking Act to be Included in Bipartisan Innovation and Competition Bill

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Bipartisan group of Senators call for cannabis businesses to be able to access safe and secure banking services

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: U.S. Senators John Hickenlooper and Michael Bennet today joined their colleagues in a bipartisan letter urging congressional leadership to include the Secure and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act of 2021 in the final version of the Bipartisan Innovation and Competition legislation currently being negotiated between the House and the Senate. 

The SAFE Banking Act would allow state-legal cannabis businesses to access banking services. Currently most legal cannabis businesses have to operate in all-cash, which has led to ongoing threats of robbery and assault for business owners and employees. In Denver, cannabis businesses make up less than 1 percent of all local businesses, but accounted for 10 percent of reported business burglaries from 2012 to 2016.

“The SAFE Banking Act, as included in the House-passed America COMPETES Act, would allow banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions to offer banking services to legally-operating cannabis businesses without fear of punishment by federal regulators,” wrote Hickenlooper, Bennet, and the lawmakers. “Allowing cannabis businesses operating legally and in compliance with state law to access financial services without federal reprisal would address public safety and compliance challenges, helping communities reduce cash-motivated crimes.”

The SAFE Banking Act has passed the House six times–most recently as an amendment to its version of the bipartisan competition bill. This letter, sent to Senate Leaders Chuck Schumer and Mitch McConnell, and Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Leader Kevin McCarthy in the House, urges leadership to ensure the text of that amendment remains in the final conference version of the Bipartisan Innovation and Competition Bill to be considered by both the House and the Senate.

Hickenlooper is a member of the Conference Committee that will finalize the Bipartisan Innovation and Competition Bill. In the first public hearing today, Hickenlooper spoke about his priorities for the legislation, including the need to modernize our banking laws so that the cannabis industry isn’t operating with the challenges of the current all-cash system.

Full text of the letter can be found HERE and below:

May 12, 2022

Dear Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Speaker Pelosi, and Leader McCarthy,

We write to request that the final conferenced American competitiveness, jobs, and innovation package retain the text of the Secure and Fair Enforcement Banking Act (SAFE Banking Act) of 2021 included in the House of Representatives’ American COMPETES Act of 2022. The House has now passed the SAFE Banking Act six times, including most recently as an amendment to its version of the bipartisan competition bill, and we ask you to ensure that the text of that amendment remains in the final conferenced version of the bill to be considered by both the House and the Senate.

The SAFE Banking Act, as included in the House-passed America COMPETES Act, would allow banks, credit unions, and other financial institutions to offer banking services to legally-operating cannabis businesses without fear of punishment by federal regulators. Currently, thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use, and eighteen states and the District of Columbia allow adult recreational use. As a result, the cannabis industry has become a powerful job creator and a significant generator of tax revenue. However, financial institutions are often reluctant to transact with cannabis-related businesses, even in states that have some form of legalized cannabis, due to legal and regulatory risks arising from inconsistent federal and state laws. Allowing cannabis businesses operating legally and in compliance with state law to access financial services without federal reprisal would address public safety and compliance challenges, helping communities reduce cash-motivated crimes. Law enforcement organizations have publicly testified before Congress about these cash-related safety risks, including theft, robbery, and serious violence perpetrated against employees responsible for conducting what should be routine business operations.2 The same law enforcement organizations also have testified about the importance of moving these large amounts of cash in the cannabis industry into the banking system, where accounts are monitored in accordance with existing federal anti-money laundering laws and the Bank Secrecy Act. Enacting the SAFE Banking Act via the jobs and competitiveness legislation before us would support a rapidly growing industry that creates jobs, fosters innovation, supports small businesses, and raises revenue in states that have chosen to legalize cannabis, while reducing safety risks to industry employees and the public alike.

The House of Representatives already added the SAFE Banking Act as an amendment to the America COMPETES Act by a bipartisan a vote of 262-168, and on February 4, 2022, passed the amended America COMPETES Act by a bipartisan vote of 222 to 210. The standalone legislation on which the amendment is based previously passed the House of Representatives 321-101, garnering the support of more than three-quarters of the chamber and a majority of the members of each party. The bill’s list of co-sponsors is also bipartisan in both the House and the Senate. Given the demonstrated broad support for this measure, we ask you to ensure that the text of the SAFE Banking Act remain in the forthcoming final conferenced version of the jobs and competitiveness bill when it comes to the House and Senate for final votes. This will help cannabis-related businesses, support innovation, create jobs, and strengthen public safety in our communities. We look forward to working with you on this important issue.

Sincerely,

DC Mayor Signs Bill Creating Medical Cannabis Sales Tax Holiday

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Six percent sales tax on all medical cannabis products waived from April 15-24, 2022

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Mayor Muriel Bowser signed into law the Medical Marijuana Patient Access Extension Emergency Amendment Act of 2022 creating DC’s first medical cannabis sales tax holiday, on Friday, February 11, 2022. The holiday will start on Friday, April 15, 2022, and end on Sunday, April 24, 2022. 

During the 10-day sales tax holiday, medical cannabis products purchased at any of DC’s seven (7) licensed dispensaries will be exempt from the six percent sales tax.

The Emergency Act, which is in full effect, also permits the issuance of patient and caregiver registrations valid for two (2) years—doubling the standard issuance period of one (1) year— through Friday, September 30, 2022.

Previously adopted emergency rulemaking waives registration fees ($100 for standard registrations, $25 for reduced rate registrations) through Sunday, April 24, 2022, and allows DC patients whose registrations expired on or after March 1, 2020 to continue to purchase medical cannabis at DC’s seven (7) licensed dispensaries until September 30, 2022.

Lastly, the Act permits DC residents 65 years of age and older to self-certify that they will use cannabis for medical purposes in lieu of including a recommendation from their healthcare practitioner with their registration application as is required for all other applicants.

To further assist qualifying seniors to obtain their patient registration, ABRA will host “Senior Week” from Tuesday, February 22 through Friday, February 25, 2022 between 9:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m. daily. Walk-in applicants with completed applications will receive a digital and physical registration during their visit. Assistance completing applications will also be provided as needed.

“Senior Week will provide qualifying patients 65 years of age and older with the option to obtain a two-year registration card at no cost prior to the start of the medical cannabis sales tax holiday on April 15. We appreciate the steps taken by the DC Council to ease the burdens for qualifying patients to access medical cannabis a result of this emergency legislation,” said ABRA Director Fred Moosally.

DC residents interested in securing their patient and/or caregiver registration, may do so online, by mail, or in-person at ABRA’s office every Thursday through Thursday, April 28, 2022 between 9:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. ABRA’s office is located at 2000 14th Street NW, Suite 400 South, Washington, DC 20009.

Ahead of Tomorrow’s D.C. Council Hearing on Recreational Marijuana Commercialization, Congresswoman Norton Says She is Closer Than Ever to Getting Rider Removed from D.C. Appropriations Bill

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DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA:  Ahead of the Council of the District of Columbia’s hearing tomorrow on legislation to commercialize recreational marijuana, Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) said she is closer than ever to removing the rider from the D.C. Appropriations bill that prohibits the District from spending local funds on commercialization of recreational marijuana. Norton was successful in getting the rider removed from the pending House and Senate versions of the fiscal year (FY) 2022 D.C. Appropriations bill, though President Biden’s FY 22 budget proposed maintaining it. 

“Eighteen states have legalized recreational marijuana, and all have or will commercialize it,” Norton said. “D.C. should be able to collect tax revenue from all available sources, like every other jurisdiction, including from recreational marijuana, which is believed to be widely used in the District and throughout the country. The D.C. Council hearing on marijuana commercialization legislation tomorrow is timely, because my effort to remove the appropriations rider from the fiscal year 2022 D.C. Appropriations bill would allow D.C.’s local legislation legalizing commercialization to pass and take effect.

“I will always fight to remove each and every rider because D.C. should have full control over how it chooses to spend local funds. Anything less is unacceptable.”

In 2014, District voters approved an initiative legalizing the possession by adults of small amounts of marijuana for recreational use. Republicans immediately imposed a rider on the D.C. Appropriations bill to try to block the initiative from taking effect, but Norton successfully argued that the rider was flawed and only blocked D.C. from spending its local funds to commercialize recreational marijuana. As a result, D.C. residents have been able to possess up to two ounces of marijuana for recreational use, but not purchase it.

Representative Nancy Mace Introduces The States Reform Act

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 Mace’s bill keeps Americans and their children safe while providing the framework for each state’s unique cannabis laws

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: Congresswoman Nancy Mace (R-SC) released the following statement on The States Reform Act, filed today in the U.S. House: “Today, only 3 states lack some form of legal cannabis. My home state of South Carolina permits CBD, Florida allows medical marijuana, California and others have full recreational use, for example. 

Every state is different. Cannabis reform at the federal level must take all of this into account. And it’s past time federal law codifies this reality,” said Rep. Mace. “This is why I’m introducing the States Reform Act, a bill which seeks to remove cannabis from Schedule I in a manner consistent with the rights of states to determine what level of cannabis reform each state already has, or not.

“This bill supports veterans, law enforcement, farmers, businesses, those with serious illnesses, and it is good for criminal justice reform.

Furthermore, a super-majority of Americans support an end to cannabis prohibition, which is why only 3 states in the country have no cannabis reform at all. “The States Reform Act takes special care to keep Americans and their children safe while ending federal interference with state cannabis laws. Washington needs to provide a framework which allows states to make their own decisions on cannabis moving forward. This bill does that.”