Measure Aims To Safeguard Medical Marijuana Patients And The Environment, Says Bill's Sponsor

The Targeting and Offsetting Existing Illegal Contaminants (TOXIC) Act, sponsored by lawmaker Scott Peters (D-CA) to protect the environment from illegal cannabis growers, was recently re-introduced by the House Natural Resources Federal Lands Subcommittee.

The bill seeks to crack down on the use of banned pesticides on illegal marijuana grows on public land and rectify the environmental damage being done by illegal pesticides.

During a hearing, Peters emphasized that illegal pesticides used on cannabis plants can seep into the plant and ultimately end up in consumer products.

“This is particularly concerning for medical cannabis users who rely on the plant for relief from symptoms associated with various medical conditions, but may struggle to afford safe market rate cannabis at current price points,” he said, per Marijuana Moment.

The Bill's Highlights

If the legislation passes it would authorize $250 million over five years for the Forest Service to use Superfund toxic waste remediation to address environmental damage caused by the release of banned pesticides on federal lands for cannabis cultivation.

The measure also proposes raising criminal penalties for using banned pesticides in illegal cannabis cultivation to a maximum of 20 years in prison and $250,000 in criminal fines to create parity with the criminal penalties for smuggling forbidden pesticides into the country.

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