Fifteen Proposed Marijuana Laws That Could Change the Cannabis Industry

Colorado's legislative session might be over, but congressional lawmakers in Washington are still paying attention to cannabis. Between the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate, fifteen bills have been introduced that aim to revise federal marijuana laws. Ten are sponsored by Democrats, five by Republicans; two have Colorado sponsors, and half have bipartisan support. Here's the rundown:

Better Drive Act: HR 1952
Sponsor: Beto O'Rourke (D-TX)
Co-sponsors: six Democrats, three Republicans
This bill would amend title 23 in the U.S. Code and remove the stipulation that an individual convicted of a drug offense have his driver's license suspended or revoked.

Compassionate Access Act: HR 715
Sponsor: Morgan H. Griffith (R-VA)
Co-sponsors: one Democrat, two Republicans
For years, the industry has rallied around rescheduling marijuana from a Schedule I substance; this bill would do just that, and calls for the DEA to reclassify marijuana and exclude cannabidiol (CBD) from the definition of marijuana.

Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017: HR1227
Sponsor: Thomas A. Garrett Jr. (R-VA)
Co-sponsors: seven Democrats, four Republicans
This bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act and essentially reschedule marijuana so that users would not be subjected to the harsh civil and criminal penalties that they are now.

Legitimate Use of Medicinal Marijuana Act (LUMMA): HR 2372
Sponsor: Morgan H. Griffith (R-VA)
Co-sponsors: None yet (the bill was just introduced this month)
This measure would reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act.

Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act: HR 1823
Sponsor: Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: five Democrats
The Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act would amend the tax code to allow marijuana products to be taxed and regulated.

Marijuana Revenue and Regulation Act: S 776
Sponsor: Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: none
Similar to the House version, S 776 would amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide for the taxation of marijuana and marijuana products.

Keep reading for more proposals, including two introduced by Coloradans.
Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act: HR 1841
Sponsor: Jared Polis (D-CO)
Co-sponsors: nine Democrats
Colorado Representative Jared Polis hopes to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and put marijuana under the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, where it would be regulated like alcohol.

Respect State Marijuana Laws Act: HR 975
Sponsor: Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA)
Co-sponsors: nine Democrats, nine Republicans
The bill would exempt anyone who produces, possesses, distributes, dispenses, administers or delivers marijuana in compliance with state laws from the federal penalties they currently face under the Controlled Substances Act.

Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act of 2017: HR 1824
Sponsor: Ed Blumenauer (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: five Democrats
This bill would amend the Controlled Substances Act and "reduce the gap" between state and federal marijuana policy.

Responsibly Addressing the Marijuana Policy Gap Act: S 780
Sponsor: Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: none
Similar to the House version, this bill would reduce the gap between federal and state marijuana policy by amending the Controlled Substances Act.

SAFE Act of 2017: HR 2215
Sponsor: Ed Perlmutter (D-CO)
Co-sponsors: twenty-nine Democrats, six Republicans
The SAFE Act would create protections for banks that provide financial services to the regulated cannabis industry.

Small Business Tax Equity Act of 2017: HR 1810
Sponsor: Carlos Curbelo (R-FL)
Co-sponsors: fourteen Democrats
This act would amend the Internal Revenue Code to create deductions and credits for expenditures from state-regulated marijuana sales.

Small Business Tax Equity Act: S 777
Sponsor: Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: two Democrats, one Republican
Mirroring the House version, this bill would amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow any business that conducts marijuana sales in compliance with state law to use tax credits or deductions for business-related costs.

States' Medical Marijuana Property Rights Protection Act: HR 331
Sponsor: Barbara Lee (D-CA)
Co-sponsors: five Democrats
If passed, this measure would amend the Controlled Substances Act to exempt property from civil forfeiture if it is involved in state-legal medical marijuana-related conduct.

Veterans Equal Access Act: HR 1820
Sponsor: Earl Blumenauer (D-OR)
Co-sponsors: eight Democrats, three Republicans
This bill would authorize health-care providers at the Department of Veterans Affairs to provide veterans with information and recommendations on medical marijuana.