On the recordJune 19, 2019
I am pleased to be here today to be able to deal with the first significant piece of legislation on the floor of the House this Congress dealing with the legalization of cannabis. There has been a sea change in this country over the course of the last 25 years as we have seen 47 States legalize some form of cannabis. But there is an area that is deeply troubling, and this relates to Tribes. Tribes have an interest in being able to conduct activities that deal with cannabis, but currently the strictures that the Federal Government has dealing with its being illegal and the manifold connections that Tribes have with the Bureau of Indian Affairs and so forth make it something that they just don't feel comfortable doing. There are Tribes that are moving forward. They want to be in this area. It is a multibillion dollar growth industry. It provides opportunities for health, economic development, and recreational activities. The States have been granted a certain amount of latitude moving into this space, but the Tribes have been denied. This amendment is very simple. It just says that the Department of Justice will not interfere with Tribal decisions dealing with cannabis. It is ironic. This is a substance that has been used by Tribes for healing going back millennia, and there is an opportunity for them to be able to be part of an economic opportunity that is taking place across the country. We need to grant them that authority.…
