Bipartisan legislation opens up medical access and research, respects state legalization of medical marijuana, and allows banking for state-compliant marijuana-related businesses

WASHINGTON, DC – The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) applauds the history-making introduction of a bipartisan Senate bill to legalize medical marijuana. The new legislation proposed by Senators Rand Paul (R-KY), Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) respects the will of states that have legalized medical marijuana, provides greater access for critically ill patients, removes impediments to research into medical marijuana, and opens up banking access for legal marijuana-related businesses.

“This is a major step forward for cannabis policy reform and the cannabis industry,” said NCIA executive director Aaron Smith. “This bill would stop treating patients and their providers as criminals and respect the states and researchers who have recognized the immense potential of cannabis as medicine. In addition, cannabis-related businesses of all kinds would no longer face the dangerous and absurd situation of being denied basic banking services.”

NCIA’s support of the legislation was not without reservation, however. The proposed legislation would place marijuana in Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act (CSA) and would stop short of providing protections for individuals acting under state laws regulating marijuana for all adults.

“Marijuana does not belong in Schedule II,” Smith noted. “To dictate that placement without conducting a proper analysis to determine the best schedule is not appropriate given the body of research that has determined cannabis is a safer substance than many over-the-counter medicines. We do not believe that cannabis is as harmful as other Schedule II substances like oxycontin, cocaine, and methamphetamine, and we are disappointed that this legislation suggests they are.

“That said, the Paul-Booker-Gillibrand legislation makes great strides toward compassionate access for patients in need and represents a saner approach to cannabis overall.”

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