Dem bill would protect state weed laws

A House Democrat wants to protect from federal interference the 23 states that have legalized marijuana in one form or another.

Rep. Suzan DelBene (Wash.) introduced the State Marijuana and Regulatory Tolerance (SMART) Enforcement Act to give the U.S. attorney general the authority to waive the Controlled Substances Act.

{mosads}Because there’s still federal law on the books prohibiting marijuana use, people who participate in state markets where weed is legal risk being prosecuted.

DelBene’s bill would put a hold on that law and eliminate the banking issues that currently force dispensaries to operate on an all-cash basis.

“These waivers will ensure people in states that have different laws than the federal government on marijuana are protected from prosecution, provided they meet certain requirements, as more and more states work to regulate marijuana in their own borders,” she said in news release.

The legislation would, however, sunset all waivers after three years to allow Congress to reevaluate the law.