The US House of Representatives on Friday passed a bill to end the federal prohibition on cannabis. But don’t get too excited; it only means it has removed marijuana from the ‘Controlled Substances Act’ but at least that’s a step in the right direction. The bill also creates a federal-state control of cannabis programs which would make it easier for research on pot, help set up banking and tax laws for the new industry, and allows for some cannabis offenses to be expunged.
Still, the experts say Friday’s action is considered a ‘significant win’ for both legalization advocates and the advancement of the legal cannabis industry.
It also was the first time that a chamber of Congress has voted on a standalone cannabis bill.
“We move by inches,” Chris Walsh, CEO and president of industry trade publication Marijuana Business Daily, said in an interview. “Each inch is significant in an of itself, but they have to add up together before you get to the big win.”