Senators Cantwell and Murray Should Sign the CARERS Act
In 2015 a group
of bi partisan Senators introduced the Compassionate Access, Research
Expansion, and Respect States Act, or CARERS Act, in the Senate. This first of its
kind bill in the Senate forbids the Federal Government from interfering with
state medical cannabis laws, expands research into medical cannabis, clarifies
banking rules for cannabis businesses and allows VA doctors to prescribe medical
cannabis to Veterans who need the life saving plant. The bill didn’t pass in the
Senate in 2015, but now it has been reintroduced in response to the new Attorney
General, Jeff Sessions, latest attempt to go after cannabis.
Democratic
Senators Cory Booker, Kirstin Gillibrand, Al Franken and Republican Senators
Rand Paul, Lisa Murkowski and Mike Lee Have all signed on to this historic
piece of legislation, but 2 names are conspicuously missing. Patty Murray and
Maria Cantwell’s names are not on the bill. This despite Washington passing one
of the nation’s first medical cannabis laws. This in spite of the thriving medical
cannabis system that once existed in Washington. This in spite of the millions
of Washingtonians who use medical cannabis. This in spite of billions of
dollars being spent in the Washington economy from medical cannabis. This in
spite of Washington passing one of the first recreational cannabis laws. This in
spite of “fill in the blank with how medical cannabis benefits Washington”.
