WASHINGTON — Alaska's U.S. senators are backing bipartisan legislation to give states greater control over the legalization of marijuana.
Republican Sens. Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski have signed on to co-sponsor a bill saying that the marijuana prohibitions of the federal Controlled Substances Act would not apply to states and tribes that have their own laws dictating the production, possession, distribution and other delivery of marijuana and marijuana products.
States would still be prohibited from allowing anyone under 18 years old to be employed in the marijuana industry, from selling to anyone under 21 years old (except for medical purposes), and from any distribution of marijuana products at truck stops and rest stops. The bill also makes clear that financial transactions meeting state laws are not unlawful and not considered trafficking—a provision meant to help with the financial problems of banks that won't work with cannabis companies.
The bill would also remove industrial hemp from the federal list of controlled substances.
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