This year’s midterm elections saw the passing of a ballot initiate to legalize medical cannabis in Missouri. Now a legislator has pre-filed a bill which will prevent any state official or agency from sharing information about medical cannabis patients in the state with any federal authority.
The bill, sponsored by Republican Nick Schroer intends to make it a Class E felony for any state official to share with the federal government any information about the people holding medical cannabis cards in the state. Anyone convicted for this offense risks a custodial sentence of up to four years.
While it is rare for the Justice Department to prosecute individuals who use medical cannabis in states where it is legal, such a step isn’t entirely unheard of. The protracted case of three family members in Washington is a stark reminder that anything can happen as long as marijuana is still regarded as a strictly controlled illegal substance by the federal government.
Currently, a spending rider passed by Congress stops the federal government from using tax dollars to prosecute individuals who use medical cannabis in states where legalization has taken place.
Why, you may be wondering, would Nick Shroer deem it necessary to propose a bill on a matter that seems to have been settled by Congress? The reason is that policies can shift at the federal level at any time.
State law is therefore necessary to insulate patients from any policy changes that can put them in the crosshairs of the federal government.
Such laws are also intended to send a strong message that the states have their own right to pass and implement their own laws without having to bow to the wishes of the federal government.
Current events show that federal prosecutors are having meetings in different states where cannabis has been legalized in some form during the recent midterms in order to discuss how those policy changes will impact the work of federal prosecutors. This is a good sign that shows that the feds are adjusting to the changes taking place at the state level even if those changes contrast with the position held at the federal level.
Earth Science Tech, Inc. (OTCQB: ETST) and FinCanna Capital Corp. (CSE: CALI) (OTCQB: FNNZF) welcome the legal protections that the legislator from Missouri wants to see for medical cannabis patients. Such protections ensure that people in dire need of relief from their medical conditions aren’t looked at as criminals who should be locked up.
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