A GOP senator says it’s time to create a regulatory framework for marijuana with a federal excise tax and allow states to “opt in” to legalization—stating that he’s “not an anti-cannabis person” but stressing that certain rules should be implemented.
Sen. Thom Tillis, R-NC is not the first person you would think to support comprehensive federal reform of marijuana laws. But he has been making the case against prohibition for several months. His position stems in part from his concerns with the North Carolina tribe who legalized and marketed cannabis despite state reforms not having been implemented.
Tillis stated in an interview published by McClatchy on Thursday that “we need to eliminate flavorings and Chinese imports. Let states choose if they want, and set rules for excise taxes and other things.”
In a discussion with Senator John McCain, he expressed dissatisfaction over the marketing campaign that was extended outside of the tribal borders.
“I mean, gosh, when you’re doing the ads in Charlotte: ‘One of the country’s biggest dispensaries,’ and you’ve got a really cute app and you’re advertising all these fruity names and everything, and you’re an island—I mean unless you’re going there and having one hell of a weekend, we all know that people are taking it and bringing it back,” he said. The people need to understand that they break the law the second they step outside the boundaries.
There are people lining up and the traffic has stopped. Tillis, in reference to the dispensary of his tribe, said: “It’s incredible.” I’m not anti-cannabis, but it has to be done legally.
Michell Hicks retorted, stating that the EBCI tribe operates “squarely within the laws” and that Senator “has chosen not to acknowledge that truth in order to further his political agenda.”
Hicks declared, “Our operation is fully compliant to federal and tribe law. We are guided by transparency, safety and accountability.” Senator Tillis’s attacks on me aren’t about the law; they have more to do with ego. “To suggest that EBCI could endanger kids through sales or marketing practices is incorrect and is offensive to our values.”
Tillis also expressed similar concerns during Tuesday’s Senate Judiciary Committee meeting with Pam Bondi. He said he has “no problem with” the legalization of sales in that territory generally—but that he still finds “concerning” with respect to the conflict between state and federal marijuana laws.
Nearly three dozen States [have] The senator stated that “either medical, recreational or a hybrid model” of cannabis is available. The Senator said, “This reminds me of the attacks on the tobacco industry for marketing to youth.”
This is what worries me because this is a money making enterprise. He said that it seemed to be preying on young people. The app he pointed to allows users in states where cannabis is prohibited to purchase marijuana in legal jurisdictions and pick them up once they cross state borders.
Tillis also said last month that the federal government needs to “step up” and explore a regulatory framework for marijuana—and that should include a pathway to explore the “efficacy” of cannabis for certain health conditions.
At a separate Judiciary Committee hearing in June, Tillis said opponents of marijuana legalization “have lost” the fight to maintain prohibition and that “it’s time” for lawmakers to address that reality by creating a regulatory framework treating cannabis “in the same way that we do with alcohol and tobacco,” so that states can set their own policies without federal intervention.
Back in February, the senator also raised the issue during a Senate Banking Committee hearing, saying “we should reexamine [federal marijuana laws].” “But at the same, we damn sure shouldn’t do it by enacting” legislation which would prevent federal regulators penalizing banks who work with state-legal marijuana businesses.
Tillis also said last December that he’s hopeful Congress will have a “discussion” about potentially creating a federal regulatory framework for marijuana in 2025, though he added that he personally wouldn’t vote to federally legalize cannabis.
Last year, the senator also said he supports creating a “comprehensive regulatory framework that treats marijuana just like tobacco,” arguing that “the federal government needs to figure out a safe way to allow this market to occur.”
Tillis in April joined Sen. Ted Budd (R-NC) in asking federal, state and local officials what steps they were taking to enforce marijuana prohibition as an Indian tribe prepared to launch recreational cannabis sales on its lands within North Carolina.
Separately, Trump’s nominee for White House drug czar, Sara Carter, told members of the Judiciary Committee at a hearing last month that the administration is keeping “all options” on the table as it continues to consider the marijuana rescheduling proposal, while describing cannabis reform as a “bipartisan issue.” On Thursday, the committee moved the nomination to the floor.