Whereas like Colorado, Oregon, Washington, Alaska, California, Nevada and Maine, the Commonwealth, by the people, has opted to authorize the regulation, taxation and control of commerce in cannabis, and expects soon to license cultivation, processing and retail sales of cannabis to adults, extracting costs of implementation from applicants and licensees, with new revenue going to the commonwealth and municipalities; and

Whereas, the development of regulations and the carrying out of effective supervision of this new industry requires the best possible understanding of the long term impact of marijuana use on the health of individuals and the long-term impact of widespread use on the public health generally; and

Whereas, the development of a robust and transparent industry requires access to conventional business banking services;  and

Whereas, marijuana remains prohibited under federal law, as a result of which

-scientific and medical research into the effect of marijuana is severely thwarted;

-banks are dissuaded from doing business with state-legal cannabis enterprises, forcing them operate in cash and exposing them to criminal violence; and

-federal resources are misdirected on a prohibition inimical to our own law and having neither the support of the people nor any reasonable prospect of halting the spread of marijuana into the economic and cultural mainstream; and

Whereas, the commonwealth wants to be a leader in medicine and the business of cannabis, but is stymied by federal prohibition;  and

Whereas, the commonwealth is ready to assume the responsibility of supervising the new above-ground cannabis industry, and is not needful of federal assistance in that regard;

Now, therefore, be it resolved:

1. That our senators and representatives in Congress be requested to use all honorable means to secure the deletion of the word “marihuana” from the federal Controlled Substances Act, 21 U.S.C. 801 et seq , with appropriate edits to  accommodate such deletion.

2. That his excellency the governor be requested to transmit a copy of this resolution to each of the senators and representatives of Massachusetts in the Congress of the United States, and the President of the United States.