AHPA endorses CARERS and Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition actsAHPA endorses CARERS and Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition acts

The American Herbal Products Association has endorsed the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act and the Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act.

The AHPA did not endorse the CARERS proposal to reschedule marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II of the Controlled Substances Act, however.

The CARERS Act includes provisions to:

The Association has also endorsed the Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act (S. 2237) as introduced by Sen. Bernie Sanders, (I-VT).

The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act includes provisions to remove marijuana from the Drug Enforcement Administration's list of the "most dangerous" drugs; strike marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act; and allow states to decide whether they want to legalize pot for recreational or medical use without federal intervention.

AHPA's Board of Trustees voted to endorse these bills at the recommendation of AHPA's Cannabis Committee.

"There is a growing body of evidence and data that demonstrate the medical benefits of cannabis," said Jane Wilson, AHPA's director of program development and staff liaison to the Cannabis Committee. "If enacted, these bills would help more consumers benefit from the medicinal properties of this plant."