Democratic Senator John Hickenlooper officially introduced a bill last Thursday to prepare the United States for the federal legalization of cannabis.
The presentation of this text roughly coincides with the tenth anniversary of the vote of his native state, Colorado, in favor of the legalization of cannabis for adult use.
The PREPARE law for Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult-Use Regulated Environment Act (Effectively Preparing Regulators for a Regulated Post-Prohibition Environment for Adults) would ask the Attorney General to create a commission to make recommendations on a cannabis regulatory system that builds on what is currently in place for the alcohol.
“Ten years after Colorado pioneered the legalization of cannabis, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level,” John Hickenlooper said in a press release. “This bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, will replicate our success nationally. »
A decade after Colorado pioneered marijuana legalization, Americans overwhelmingly support the same at the federal level.
Our PREPARE Act will create a bipartisan, bicameral framework, based on Colorado’s Amendment 64 Task Force, and will replicate our success nationally.
— Senator John Hickenlooper (@SenatorHick) December 2, 2022
The measure is identical to a bill introduced in the House of Representatives that Representatives Dave Joyce, Hakeem Jeffries and Brian Mast introduced in April.
“I am thrilled that the PREPARE Act has been introduced in the Senate, which not only makes it even more bipartisan, but bicameral, and brings it one step closer to being law,” Joyce said Thursday. “This legislation gives lawmakers on both sides of the aisle the answers they need to effectively engage in cannabis reform, regulate it safely and effectively, and address the harm caused by the failed war on cannabis. . »
“With these responses, Congress can develop a much-needed federal regulatory framework that not only respects each state’s unique needs, rights, and laws, but also ensures a responsible end to Prohibition and a safer future for our communities.” I was proud to lead the introduction of this common sense bill into the House and I thank Senator Hickenlooper for pushing it forward in the Senate. I look forward to continuing to work with him and my fellow Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs in the House to pave the way for more comprehensive reform. »
Although Senator Hickenlooper voiced his opposition to the legalization of cannabis in Colorado in 2012 when he was governor, he has since acknowledged that many of his fears about ending Prohibition have not materialized, particularly regarding cannabis use among young people. And he is now a strong advocate for reform at the federal level.
