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1 1 (May 29, 2020)

handle is hein.crs/govdayy0001 and id is 1 raw text is: Resarh Service State Marijuana Legalization and Federal Drug Law: A Brief Overview for Congress May 29, 2020 On May 21, 2020, Virginia Governor Ralph Northam signed legislation decriminalizing the possession of marijuana under Virginia state law. Under the new Virginia law, possession of up to an ounce of marijuana will be punishable by a civil penalty of no more than $25. The new statute does not make marijuana possession legal; instead, individuals who possess small amounts of marijuana for personal use will no longer face jail time under state law. Another Virginia statute enacted in 2020 permits the possession of certain cannabis-derived products for medical purposes. Virginia is one of a number of states that in recent years have relaxed criminal prohibitions on the production, distribution, and possession of cannabis. Following these changes to state law, medical and recreational cannabis businesses have begun operating openly in some parts of the United States. News outlets reporting recent changes to state marijuana laws often broadly refer to such efforts as either decriminalizing or legalizing marijuana, with some reports suggesting that cannabis businesses that comply with state law are legal. However, news reports rarely define those terms or consider the interplay between state and federal law. In fact, many cannabis-related activities that comply with state law may nonetheless violate the federal Controlled Substances Act (CSA). In light of recent changes to state marijuana regulation, this Sidebar provides background on the primary legal regimes that apply to cannabis, with a focus on the divergence between federal and state controlled substances law. It then briefly discusses the legal consequences of the status of cannabis under the CSA and outlines certain related considerations for Congress. Classifying Cannabis under Federal Law The plant Cannabis sativa L. and products derived from that plant have a number of uses and may be subject to several overlapping legal regimes. Some of the chemicals found in cannabis, known as cannabinoids, produce a psychoactive effect. Thus, varietals of cannabis containing significant amounts of those chemicals, particularly the psychoactive cannabinoid delta-9 tetrahydrocatiabinol (THC), may be used as a recreational drug. Cannabis and cannabis derivatives-including the non-psychoactive cannabinoid cannabidiol (CBD)-may also be used for medical purposes. In addition, low-THC varietals of cannabis, often called hemp, have varied commercial and industrial applications including use in building materials, fibers, and personal care products. Congressional Research Service https://crsreports.congress.gov LSB10482 CRS LegM Sideba Prepaimed for Mernbei-s and Committees 4 o. C- --q s . . . .. . . . . . .. . . . . .. . . . ..-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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