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A GOP U.S. senator is calling for a “regulatory construct” for cannabis that allows states to make decisions about legalization in their jurisdictions. The comments from Republican Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina came in an interview with Marijuana Moment, the online cannabis news outlet reported on Tuesday.
During the interview, Tillis said that “we’ve got to get out of this mode” of states implementing cannabis policies that are “running afoul of federal law.”
“Now, in some cases, we seem to think that’s a bad thing” to have different laws in different jurisdictions. “In the case of cannabis, we don’t,” Tillis said. “But it’s creating so many gateways for illegal and illicit actors in this space and safety issues. We got to act on it.”
“We know how the play is going to end, so why not come up with a regulatory construct for consumer protection, for child safety, for health—and do it in a way that requires states to opt in?” Tillis asked. “So I’m just thinking about a framework where you have excise taxes, you have money flowing to law enforcement and other agencies and then have Congress have a simple up or down vote on it.”
The discussion about cannabis began when the senator was asked about his views on cannabis consumers being able to possess firearms. Under current federal law, people who use cannabis are not permitted to purchase or possess firearms.
“Why would I have a problem with that any more than somebody who drinks alcohol?” Tillis replied, before turning the conversation to other cannabis-related issues.
Earlier Comments Also Call for Federal Cannabis Regulation
Before the interview with Marijuana Moment, Tillis said last week that the federal government should create a regulatory framework for cannabis, which he said should be subject to a federal excise tax. States would then be free to “opt in” to legalization, Tillis added, saying he is not an “anti-cannabis person.” The senator emphasized, however, that rules governing the cannabis trade should be implemented.
The North Carolina Republican also criticized the marketing practices of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians’ cannabis enterprise in his state. He had previously brought up the issue with U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, saying that while he generally has “no problem” with the tribe selling cannabis, he finds the differences between state and federal law “concerning.”
“I mean, gosh, when you’re doing the ads in Charlotte: ‘One of the country’s biggest dispensaries,’ and you’ve got a really cute app and you’re advertising all these fruity names and everything, and you’re an island—I mean unless you’re going there and having one hell of a weekend, we all know that people are taking it and bringing it back,” he said of the tribe’s marketing. “People need to know the minute they leave the boundary, they’re breaking the law.”
“There are people lined up, the traffic is stopped. It’s amazing,” Tillis said, referring to the tribe’s dispensary. “I’m not an anti-cannabis person, but you’ve got to do it legally.”
The senator also expressed concerns that the marketing could have an impact on minors and underage adults.
“Nearly three dozen states [have] either medical, recreational or hybrid” cannabis models, the senator said. “But this kind of feels like to me, the way the tobacco industry got attacked for advertising to young people.”
Tillis also mentioned a smartphone app that he said allows people in states where cannabis has not been legalized to place an order for pickup in a nearby state where it is legal.
“This is just this worries me, because it’s a money-making enterprise. It kind of seems like it’s preying on younger people,” he said.
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The information in this article and any included images or charts are for educational purposes only. This information is neither a substitute for, nor does it replace, professional legal advice or medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. If you have any concerns or questions about laws, regulations, or your health, you should always consult with an attorney, physician or other licensed professional.
