STATES Act: The Limits of Congress’ Cannabis Compromise

A liberal win wrapped in a conservative shell (or vice versa, it could be argued) isn’t the easiest thing to pull off these days, but that’s precisely what US Senators Elizabeth Warren and Cory Gardner are trying as the pair chart a bipartisan course for the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act they introduced this month.

STATES would sanctify in federal law — at least in part — the medical and recreational cannabis industries only where states have moved ahead with allowing cannabis sales, currently without the federal government’s permission. The senators say that the bill’s passage would mean easier access to banking and allow businesses to operate without the fear of federal interference.