by Corina N. Schaffner-Fegard, Esq.
On
February 27, 2017, US House Representative Thomas Garrett Jr., a Republican,
introduced H.R.1227
— 115th Congress (2017-2018). (Ending Federal
Marijuana Prohibition Act of 2017). This bill is a
legislative attempt to de-schedule marijuana entirely. That would mean it would no longer be
regulated under the Controlled Substances Act and would be placed on par with
alcohol. Currently, marijuana is
classified as a Schedule I substance under the CSA. The bill does place limitations on interstate
transportation of marijuana and applies penalties for violations under Sec.
103. As of March 16, 2017, the bill was
referred to the Committee on Crime,
Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations and is awaiting action before
the House Judiciary Committee. Given
statements made by Attorney General Sessions, which could be interpreted as his
endorsing an increase in prosecutions when it comes to marijuana, the fate of
the bill is unclear. We will be
following this legislation, as its passing will impact whether health insurers, including workers' compensation carriers, are required to pay for medical marijuana.
