Washington, D.C., April 19, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer announced today that he will soon be introducing legislation that would remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances so that states could adopt their own cannabis programs.
“We agree with Senator Schumer that this legislation is long overdue and commend his leadership as the Senate’s top Democrat to finally modernize our nation’s marijuana policies. Removing cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act will allow states to continue to successfully regulate cannabis, undermine criminal markets, create new economic opportunities, and will pave the way to much-needed research into the therapeutic potential of cannabis,” National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) Executive Director, Aaron Smith, stated in response to the announcement.
“We look forward to working with Sen. Schumer and his colleagues in Congress to advance federal legislation that will allow our industry to reach its full potential as one of America’s fastest growing business sectors,” Smith added.
Twenty-nine states and the District of Columbia have legalized the medical use of cannabis and nine states and D.C. permit the use of cannabis by adults over 21. An impressive 64 percent of Americans believe that cannabis should be made legal, while a national poll conducted in January found that 70 percent of Americans oppose federal interference in state marijuana laws.
As the nation’s largest cannabis trade association, NCIA represents over 1,500 businesses serving the legal cannabis industry. Hundreds of NCIA members will descend on Washington, D.C. May 21-23 for NCIA’s 8th Annual Cannabis Industry Lobby Days to educate lawmakers on the social and economic benefits of regulating cannabis and to share the challenges they face due to the conflict between state and federal laws.
###
The National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) is the largest cannabis trade association in the U.S. and the only one representing cannabis businesses at the national level. NCIA promotes the growth of a responsible and legitimate cannabis industry and works toward a favorable social, economic, and legal environment for that industry in the United States.