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A group of nearly a dozen Republican senators have introduced legislation that would increase penalties for a varied list of federal crimes, including manufacturing candy-flavored cannabis edibles or drinks. The steeper penalties would apply if it is likely the weed edibles will be marketed to children, online cannabis news source Marijuana Moment reported on Monday.
Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa, chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee, led the group of GOP senators behind the measure, Senate Bill 1949. Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas, Sen. Kevin Cramer of North Dakota, Louisiana’s Sen. Bill Cassidy, Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma, Sen. Mitch McConnell of Kentucky, Maine’s Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, Sens. Mike Crapo and Jim Risch of Idaho and North Carolina’s Sen. Thom Tillis joined Grassley as co-sponsors of the legislation.
Senate Bill 1949, dubbed the Combating Violent and Dangerous Crime Act, would increase the penalties for violent offenses such as carjacking, robbery and kidnapping. Additionally, the legislation would “Outlaw the marketing of candy-flavored drugs including marijuana and fentanyl to minors,” according to a brief on the measure from Boozman.
“Soft-on-crime policies have failed to ensure our justice system and law enforcement at all levels have the necessary authorities and tools to maintain order and protect communities from dangerous criminals,” Boozman said in a statement about the legislation. “I am proud to join Senator Grassley and my colleagues to ensure violent offenders are held accountable under the law.”
Weed Edibles Not Explicitly Mentioned In Bill
The bill does not specifically mention cannabis or marijuana edibles. But a section-by-section analysis of the measure maintains that “manufacturers and traffickers of marijuana edibles and fentanyl and other illicit drugs are marketing and distributing these highly dangerous drugs as packaged candy (Nerds, Skittles, etc.).”
“For years, there have been reports of children, even younger than 6 years old, overdosing on these drugs due to edible consumption,” the analysis reads. “This provision is the language of the 2017 Grassley-Feinstein Protecting Kids from Candy-Flavored Drugs Act, which has not been reintroduced as a bipartisan measure this Congress. The language amends the Controlled Substances Act to provide enhanced penalties for marketing candy-flavored controlled substances to minors.”
The bill would increase the penalties for manufacturing or selling Schedule I drugs including marijuana in the form of candy or beverages if there is “reasonable cause to believe” the weed edibles will be marketed to children. Those convicted under the legislation, if passed, could receive an additional 10 years in prison for a first offense if cannabis products shaped or flavored like candy was sold to minors. Subsequent offenses would be punished with an addition 20 years behind bars.
In a statement about the bill, Grassley pointed the finger at the Biden-Harris administration for what he characterized as a “massive spike in violent crime” in the United States.
“As the Trump administration works to clean up the previous administration’s mess, Congress has a duty to resolve any legal ambiguities that may weaken our ability to hold criminals fully accountable,” Grassley said. “Our bill includes several modest, but meaningful, reforms to tamp down on future crime and ensure justice is served.”
Senate Bill 1949 was introduced in the U.S. Senate on June 4. The measure has been referred to the Senate Judiciary Committee for consideration.
“}]] A bill sponsored by Sen. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and 10 Senate GOP colleagues would increase the penalties for marketing “candy-flavored” cannabis edibles to children. Read More
