Press Releases

Congresswoman Chellie Pingree (D-ME) today voiced support for the bipartisan, bicameral Strengthening the Tenth Amendment Through Entrusting States (STATES) Act, legislation introduced in the House and Senate to protect states that have legalized marijuana use from federal interference. 

“I fully support efforts in Congress to keep the federal government from interfering with states like Maine that have decided to move forward with marijuana legalization. Maine voters clearly expressed their wishes to establish a legal recreational marijuana industry in our state. They shouldn’t have to worry about federal prosecution for doing what is legal in their state—the same goes for legitimate marijuana-related businesses and the institutions, such as credit unions and banks, that offer them services. 

“Maine is not an outlier here—46 states now have laws permitting or decriminalizing marijuana. We should take steps to ensure that the federal government does not intrude on the rights of these state to govern within their borders.”    

Pingree will cosponsor the STATES Act, introduced in the Senate by Senators Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Cory Gardner (R-CO), and in the House by Representatives David Joyce (R-OH) and Earl Blumenauer (D-WA). The bill amends the Controlled Substances Act so that—as long as states and tribes comply with a few basic protections—its provisions no longer apply to any person in compliance with state or tribal laws relating to the production, possession, or distribution of marijuana. 

Pingree has already cosponsored HR 2215, the SAFE Banking Act, to protect credit unions and banks that offer financial services to legitimate marijuana-related businesses in states where it is legal.