GOP Rep. Dave Joyce and Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries teamed up on the PREPARE Act to create a regulatory structure for marijuana.
Rep. Dave Joyce, R-Ohio, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., announced April 17 that they introduced the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-Prohibition Adult Use Regulated Environment (PREPARE) Act.
The legislation aims to establish a fair, honest, and clear process for the federal government to create effective marijuana regulations when legalization inevitably occurs in the U.S. Specifically, the bill would allow experts to weigh in on the best pathway to transition from the current state-by-state patchwork of legalization to an interstate market.
This process would equip lawmakers in Washington with an understanding of how to implement reform without reinventing the wheel. Absent engagement with industry experts, it is unlikely Congress will establish policies that align with American interests, the representatives said.
With nearly all states having legalized some form of cannabis, the end of federal prohibition is approaching. The bipartisan PREPARE Act offers a framework for Congress to establish federal regulations that respect state laws while promoting a responsible transition and safer communities.
Due to federal prohibition, state-legal cannabis markets are confined to intrastate commerce under varied regulations. A federally legalized landscape has the potential to disrupt these individualized systems.
Under the PREPARE Act, the U.S. attorney general must establish the “Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis” to explore a timely, state-based regulatory framework for cannabis similar to alcohol.
Primarily, the legislation would:
- Direct federal regulators to create and present a state-responsive framework for safe cannabis production and consumption within one year.
- Build on recent bipartisan efforts to address the harms of cannabis prohibition, especially those affecting minority, low-income, and veteran communities.
- Help grant medical professionals critical research access and training.
- Develop protections for the hemp industry, including cross-pollination prevention efforts; and
- Help ensure that, absent the physician-prescribed treatment of a minor, cannabis remains an adult-only product.
