Key Cannabis Reform Bills and Legislation Across The US In 2023

The year 2022 has been a good start for the cannabis industry in the United States. But despite over 50 bills and state-level cannabis laws introduced to the legislature, only a few have been passed. Thus, the cannabis industry has continued to experience hardships since the beginning of legalization. For instance, legal cannabis cultivators and retailers across the U.S. still struggle with the regulations imposed upon them and the competition from the illegal market.  

Hence, many federal and state-level bills and legislations are still expected to be filed and reintroduced in 2023 to bring substantial reforms to the current cannabis-related laws in the country.  

If you're one of the industry's watchers, below are the critical cannabis reform bills and legislations across the U.S. that you may look forward to in 2023.  

Cannabis Reform Bills And Legislations: State Level 

Many lawmakers in various states across the United States have started filing cannabis reform bills in 2023. These legislations are intended to protect state-regulated cannabis businesses and regulate the cultivation, selling, use, and possession of cannabis-derived products.  

Because of this, looking at some state-level cannabis reform bills can be essential to know whether certain cannabis products are allowed or disallowed in your state. For example, there might be some key cannabis reform bills in 2023 that you should check for deciding on dab pens you want to buy. Some of these bills, when approved, might no longer allow the use of dab pens in your state, which is why it's crucial to check on the following cannabis legislation this year: 

1. Hawaii 

Hawaii has filed several cannabis reform bills to legalize cannabis use, possession, and sale. These include: 

• House Bill 237 and its companion bill, Senate Bill 375: It seeks to legalize cannabis for adult use, meaning that individuals aged 21 and above can purchase four ounces of cannabis within 15 days.  
• House Bill 1425: It allows the legalization of purchasing and possessing up to 28.5 grams of cannabis flower.  
• Senate Bill 669: It aims to make personal cultivation and use of cannabis in small amounts a legal activity within the state.  

These are some state-level cannabis bills to look forward to in Hawaii this 2023.  

2. Maryland  

The state of Maryland has also introduced House Bill 556 and Senate Bill 516, which regulate cannabis sales to adults 21 years old and older. It allows all state-regulated cannabis businesses to work with registered medical patients and adults. It also mandates the increase of the amount of cannabis possession by patients up to 36 grams of THC-infused products, 4 ounces of cannabis flower, and four plants for home cultivation.  

3. Tennessee 

In Tennessee, the lawmakers have filed Senate Bill 0168 and House Bill 88, known as the 'Free All Cannabis for Tennesseans Act.' The bill aims to regulate adult use in the cannabis market. 21-year-old adults and older can possess, use, and transport up to 15 grams of cannabis concentrates and 60 grams of flowers.  

Moreover, the bill also seeks to provide non-felony, non-violent cannabis offenders eligibility for immediate release from incarceration.  

These are some examples of states across the U.S. with crucial cannabis reform bills and legislations that citizens should check this year, 2023.  

Cannabis Reform Bills And Legislations: Federal Level  

Several advocates are still pushing for the passage of specific cannabis laws at the federal level to ease federal restrictions on the cannabis industry. Hence, the following are the legislations you may expect to be heard by the federal legislators this 2023: 

1. H.R. 610 Or The Marijuana 1-To-3 Act  

H.R. 610, or The Marijuana 1-to-3 Act, was reintroduced as a federal bill by Representative Greg Steube on January 27, 2023. It aims to downgrade cannabis from schedule I to schedule III to allow for more research studies. Since cannabis has been slowly legalized for medical and recreational use in the country, studying the effects of the substance and its possible impact on people is essential.  

Hence, with the rescheduling of cannabis, the researchers will have more opportunities and access to federal funds to study the substance and better understand its medical value. Since cannabis research is currently limited, H.R. 610 or the Marijuana 1-to-3 Act is believed to be a step in removing cannabis from schedule I that prevents researchers from thoroughly studying the substance for medical purposes.  

2. The SAFE Banking Act  

Another federal bill likely to be reintroduced in 2023 is the Safe and Fair Enforcement (SAFE) Banking Act. This legislation seeks to allow traditional banking institutions to do business with cannabis companies in states where the substance is legalized. It provides cannabis businesses the opportunity to avail of certain financial services, such as loans, lines of credit, and wealth management programs.  

Specifically, the passage of the SAFE Banking Act into law will prohibit federal regulators from acting against banks that offer financial services to state-regulated cannabis businesses. It will also clarify that the money obtained from doing business with compliant cannabis businesses will not be treated as proceeds from unlawful activity.  

These are two federal bills that people across the U.S. and the cannabis businesses should watch out for this year.

Conclusion  

The cannabis industry across the United States continues to grow today. Because of this, many federal and state-level legislations will be filed or reintroduced in 2023 to provide more sensible cannabis policies and reforms to the current set of cannabis laws in the country. Therefore, if you want to know more about these bills, keep the information mentioned above in mind.

Debbie T. Carpenter 

Debbie T. Carpenter, originally from Boulder, Colorado, is a researcher passionate about drug policy reform and the cannabis industry. She has spent years studying the history of cannabis prohibition and the social, economic, and legal implications of legalization. Outside of work, Debbie enjoys hiking in the mountains and practicing yoga.

(Disclaimer: Devdiscourse's journalists were not involved in the production of this article. The facts and opinions appearing in the article do not reflect the views of Devdiscourse and Devdiscourse does not claim any responsibility for the same.)