HR0440 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0440 LRB103 34610 ECR 64450 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, The National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) maintains that the federal government should respect state decisions to regulate cannabis, including hemp in non-FDA approved cannabis products; and

WHEREAS, NCSL believes states and localities should be able to set whatever policies work best to improve the public safety, health, and economic development of their communities; and

WHEREAS, Federal laws, including the Controlled Substances Act, should be amended to remove cannabis and cannabis derivatives from the Controlled Substance Schedules; and

WHEREAS, Federal laws should explicitly allow states to set their own cannabis policies without federal interference; and

WHEREAS, In states that have authorized cannabis production, distribution, and possession by establishing an effective regulatory scheme, the federal government should direct federal prosecutors to respect state cannabis laws when exercising discretion around enforcement; and

WHEREAS, Until cannabis is federally de-scheduled, the federal government should prioritize its enforcement actions against criminal enterprises engaged in illicit cannabis production and sale and not against citizens who are compliant with state cannabis laws; and

WHEREAS, Under federal law, cannabis businesses in states that have legalized the sale of cannabis are unable to use the U.S. banking system, forcing them to operate as primarily cash-only entities; and

WHEREAS, This reliance on cash makes cannabis businesses prime targets for theft, burglary, armed robbery, and other property crimes; and

WHEREAS, If Congress were to pass legislation allowing financial institutions to provide banking services to legitimate state-authorized, cannabis-related businesses, the risk of crime at these businesses would substantially decrease; and

WHEREAS, The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine identified challenges and barriers in conducting cannabis research in a 2017 report titled "The Health Effects of Cannabis and Cannabinoids"; and

WHEREAS, It is especially important that Congress and the federal government provide researchers access to cannabis in the quantity, quality, and type necessary to research the health effects of cannabis use and that adequate funding sources are made available to support cannabis and cannabinoid research that explores the health benefits and risks of cannabis use; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Congress to adopt cannabis banking reform; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substance Schedules; and be it further

RESOLVED, That we urge Congress to reduce barriers to medical research on cannabis and cannabinoids; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies be delivered to the U.S. Senate Majority Leader, the U.S. Senate Minority Leader, the U.S. Speaker of the House, the U.S. House Minority Leader, and all members of the Illinois Congressional Delegation.