# The States Reform Act of 2023: What It Actually Does

This bill would fundamentally change how the federal government treats marijuana by removing it from the list of federally controlled substances and letting individual states decide their own marijuana policies. Essentially, it would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level while allowing states that want to keep it illegal to do so.

Right now, marijuana is classified as a Schedule I controlled substance under federal law, which means the federal government treats it the same way it treats heroin and LSD—as having no accepted medical use and high abuse potential. This bill would remove that federal classification entirely. What this means in practical terms: someone could legally use marijuana in a state where it's permitted without worrying about federal prosecution. The bill also treats marijuana similarly to alcohol in federal law, meaning it would be regulated by agencies like the Food and Drug Administration and the Treasury Department's Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, rather than being banned outright.

The bill includes several other significant changes. It would allow people previously convicted of nonviolent marijuana offenses to potentially have their records cleared or sentences reduced. It would let cannabis businesses access Small Business Administration loans and disaster relief that they're currently barred from getting. Veterans who use marijuana in states where it's legal wouldn't face discrimination in federal hiring. The bill also creates a federal excise tax on marijuana sales, with revenue going toward law enforcement retraining and programs for people with prior marijuana convictions. Additionally, states that have already legalized medical marijuana would be allowed to sell those products across state lines under certain conditions.

However, the bill preserves important restrictions: states can still prohibit marijuana entirely if they choose, federal employees would still be subject to drug testing, security clearance holders couldn't use marijuana, and there would be age restrictions (21 and older) similar to alcohol. The bill essentially shifts marijuana regulation from a federal criminal matter to something more like alcohol—where federal rules exist but states have significant control over whether and how to allow it.