Democratic Congresswoman: The Trump Administration’s efforts to reduce federal spending by making states pay more for services like food assistance, health care and other public goods could ultimately lead them to “legalize marijuana”, so that they can offset these costs through cannabis tax revenues.
In an interview on the National Cannabis Industry Association (NCIA) Voice of Cannabis podcast that was released on Thursday, Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Dina Titus (D-NV) commented on a wide range of marijuana policy issues—including bipartisan legalization legislation, stalled action on federal reform and the destigmatization of cannabis use in her state after enacting an adult-use marijuana market.
One of the “only good things that comes out of the policy of the White House is that they are pushing more things to the states to pay for—like [Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)] and like Medicaid—and so states may be looking for additional sources of revenue,” Titus said. It may even push some states to consider legalizing marijuana.
Titus claimed that lawmakers in support of reforms were initially “optimistic,” about the chances of a change of policy under Donald Trump. This was because his comments on the campaign trails, which he had made favoring rescheduling, access to industry banks and the Florida adult-use ballot initiative gave the impression “he would be supportive.”
“Now that we’ve experienced this type of stalling, we now have the crazy secretary. [the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)] It’s difficult to know what to expect from the government, whether they will make this a top priority or if it is something they are going to take stance on. We have to remember that this is also a political element.
She added that, within federal circles, the “emphasis has shifted over to psychedelics that seems to capture the media more— and I think that blurs our message and may not necessarily work to our advantage. You have to make sure you don’t go down a different path. [cannabis reform] Before we go, please.
Kennedy and other top officials in the administration have advocated for the expansion of research on psychedelics.
Aaron Smith, NCIA’s Aaron Smith, also interviewed Titus regarding her own personal development on this issue as well as the unique dynamic between Nevada’s gambling and cannabis industries.
Congresswoman said that at first, gaming companies opposed legalizing marijuana. “They weren’t certain what impact it would have on the bottom line of their businesses.”
It’s the same as appealing to millennials. How do games achieve that? So they were afraid, ‘Well, people are just sitting around getting stoned and listening to music. Casinos are not where they’ll be. “How will this affect us?” She said. “Now we’ve moved on from medical marijuana and recreational marijuana,” she said.
It’s more difficult to set it up, and to figure out the best way to run things to separate marijuana from alcohol. This is still in the works, so we will see how it goes. “But there is no stigma here anymore in Nevada,” Titus shared an anecdote of how her team tried to register voters outside cannabis dispensaries during the previous election.
We were there, doing this, but unfortunately, many of the tourists were there. “They weren’t Nevadans, and didn’t really help us in terms of politics,” said she.
As far as federal reform goes, although the congresswoman feels efforts have stalled compared to expectations—and attention to psychedelic policy issues may have diverted attention from marijuana—she still anticipates that “the effort will kick up” once Congress deals with budget-related issues.
This administration is so complex. Every policy they adopt, they change the following day or even the next hour. Look at tariffs—back and forth, back and forth. “Employees in the federal government are treated exactly the same,” said she. So it is hard to predict. But until Republicans get onboard more I still think there will be a lot of reluctance. “I’m not betting on any particular day.”
“I mean, I know the odds, so I’m not going to do that—but I think you will see enthusiasm, or at least attention to it, ramp up some,” Titus said. “It is not only about getting the bill passed in the house. The first step is to make sure it moves out of the committee. “If you can make it happen, the next step will be easier on the floor, but both houses are going to have to vote.”
She said that the House was more likely to approve some legislation than the Senate, so she thought you would have a tough time lobbying and advocating on the Senate side.
The congresswoman also weighed in on a bipartisan bill—the Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) 2.0 Act—that she filed in April alongside fellow Cannabis Caucus co-chair Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) to end federal marijuana prohibition in states that have legalized it, while providing for a basic federal regulatory framework for cannabis products.
She stated that some of the STATES Act’s provisions “didn’t go as deep as many Democrats would have liked to see.” She said that Democrats would like it to be completely deregulated, or to have it removed from the schedule, but they are beginning to understand you need to take it one bite at time. This is a great way to go about it. This is what Republicans like when they talk about the states’ right. But we also recognize that since the state government is so far behind the federal one, we need to at least step aside if we don’t want to be left behind. “I think this bill is sending that message.”
The Key GOP Representatives, Including a Member who Supports Marijuana Legalization, Fight Efforts to Ban Consumable Hemp Products
Philip Steffan is the photographer.
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