It may sound bizarre, but this is a fitting analogy for cannabis in the U.S., where the plant still can’t be shipped across state borders.
According to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, it’s high time for things to change.
Meanwhile, Virginia recently became the first southern state to fully legalize marijuana, and influential right-wing groups—including Libertarian think tank the Reason Foundation and the Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity—recently formed the pro-marijuana industry Cannabis Freedom Alliance.
The federal Drug Enforcement Administration has for years resisted calls to edit weed’s categorization as a Schedule I drug that has “no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” a status that greatly restricts researchers’ ability to study the plant.
“Going public gives you some access to funds, but we’re kind of isolated north of the border on the ,” said Dr.
Vireo Health operates in other states, and Kingsley says he has the scale to absorb the extra costs associated with running a cannabis business.
Still, Allan Gandelman, founder of the New York Cannabis Growers and Processors Association, says he’s conflicted about changing marijuana’s federal status before the New York industry is set up.
The SAFE Banking Act, which aims to allow financial institutions to take on cannabis businesses without fearing federal consequences, previously stalled in the Senate but has been reintroduced this year with better prospects.