SC Congresswoman Nancy Mace unveils GOP bill to legalize marijuana at federal level
BY CAITLIN BYRD
NOVEMBER 15, 2021
U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace introduced sweeping legislation Monday to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, offering Republicans a conservative approach to the legalization debate in America that proposes taxing cannabis and regulating the substance more like alcohol.
But back in Mace’s home state of South Carolina, Republicans issued a swift condemnation of her efforts.
Her draft bill, called the States Reform Act, would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances list and impose a 3% federal excise tax. That tax revenue would help pay for law enforcement retraining programs, assist the Small Business Administration and support mental health initiatives for veterans.
The legislation also calls for expunging nonviolent, cannabis-only related arrests and convictions from federal records — a change that could lead to approximately 2,600 releases at the federal level, according to estimates provided by Mace’s office ahead of the bill’s introduction.
“It’s not going to force cannabis on South Carolina, if South Carolina does not want it,” Mace said, adding that she would like to see her state legalize medical cannabis soon.
Already, Mace’s legislation has been endorsed by several pro-marijuana lobbying groups, including the Koch brothers-backed groups Americans for Prosperity and Cannabis Freedom Alliance, as well as the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce.
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