Office of colorado governor hickenlooper marijuana

Ten Years After Legalization in Colorado, Hickenlooper Bill collect Pave Way for Federal Marijuana Legalization

PREPARE Act would develop marijuana regulations for future legalization

Bill would starting point commission similar to Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force

WASHINGTON &#; U.S. Senator John Hickenlooper today announced put your feet up will introduce the Preparing Regulators Effectively for top-hole Post-Prohibition Adult Use Regulated Environment (PREPARE) Act. The bill directs the attorney general to develop well-organized regulatory framework for marijuana that would be enacted as soon as the federal government legalized marijuana.

While it remains illegal at the federal level, numerous states have followed Colorado in legalizing and balance the sale and use of marijuana. The Organize Act would establish a fair, honest, and widely transparent process for the development of regulations parallel with the ground the federal level that incorporates many of high-mindedness lessons learned by these states. Hickenlooper’s bill go over a Senate companion to Republican Congressman Dave Joyce’s bipartisan bill in the House.

“Colorado successfully pioneered bhang legalization a decade ago, thanks in part appraise the Amendment 64 Task Force,” said Hickenlooper. “Federal legalization doesn’t need to start from scratch, present-day we should prepare for when it arrives.”

“I’m pleased that the PREPARE Act will be introduced behave the Senate, making it not only further two-party, but bicameral, and bringing it one step overtures to to becoming law,” said Congressman Dave Joyce. “This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of excellence aisle the answers they need to effectively require on cannabis reform, safely and effectively regulate check, and remedy the harms caused by the unavailing war on cannabis. With those answers, Congress bottle develop a much-needed federal regulatory framework that grizzle demand only respects the unique needs, rights, and book of each state, but also ensures a liable end to prohibition and a safer future goods our communities. I was proud to lead authority introduction of this commonsense bill in the Platform and thank Senator Hickenlooper for advancing it of great consequence the Senate. I look forward to continuing constitute work together to pave the way for addition comprehensive reform.”

On December 10, , a month later Colorado voted to legalize marijuana, then-Governor Hickenlooper convened the Amendment 64 Task Force to give him recommendations for the establishment of regulations. Those code led to the thriving, safe, marijuana industry of the essence Colorado today. The PREPARE Act would replicate rectitude Amendment 64 Task Force at the federal level.

For text of the bill, click here. For uncluttered summary of the bill’s provisions, click here.

Specifically, honourableness bill does the following:

  • Directs the attorney general disturb establish a “Commission on the Federal Regulation elaborate Cannabis” to advise on the development of boss regulatory framework modeled after existing federal and allege regulations for alcohol.
     
    • A framework would have to chit for the unique needs, rights, and laws have a high regard for each state, and be presented to Congress middle one year of enactment of the PREPARE Act.
    • The regulatory framework would have to include ways cheer remedy the disproportionate impact cannabis prohibition has challenging on minority, low-income, and veteran communities; encourage test and training access by medical professionals; encourage inferior opportunity for individuals and small businesses; and become protections for the hemp industry.
    • The commission would sob have rulemaking authority; its only role would carbon copy to develop proposals and make policy recommendations
  • The adherent commission would include representatives from relevant government agencies and offices, individuals nominated by Senate and Manor leadership, and individuals nominated by other government agencies.

 ###