December 18, 2025
Mr. Hickenlooper introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary
To establish a Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis to study a prompt and plausible pathway to the Federal regulation of cannabis, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
Section 1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the Preparing Regulators Effectively for a Post-prohibition Adult-use Regulated Environment Act of 2025
or the PREPARE Act of 2025
.
Sec. 2. Findings and purpose
(a) Findings
Congress finds the following:
(1)
Cannabis was federally legal in the United States until 1937.
(2)
Cannabis was federally prohibited to codify discriminatory practices against minority communities.
(3)
Medical cannabis prohibition was established despite objection from the American Medical Association.
(4)
38 States and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for medical purposes.
(5)
21 States and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult use.
(6)
Despite the Federal Government collecting revenue from the sale of cannabis, individuals are still criminally prosecuted for its use or possession.
(7)
Cannabis research, including research on medical uses, product safety, and impairment standards, is severely hindered and made nearly impossible by its schedule 1 classification.
(8)
Cannabis should remain an adult product aside from the physician prescribed treatment of minors.
(9)
Cannabis has proven medically beneficial for patients suffering from pain, cancer, post-traumatic stress disorder, seizure disorders, and multiple sclerosis, among other diseases.
(10)
Since 2003, the United States Government by way of the Department of Health and Human Services has held a patent for medical cannabis as an antioxidant and neuroprotectant.
(11)
While the United States remains trapped in antiquated cannabis regulations, other nations and scientific competitors, including the United Kingdom, Canada, South Korea, Germany, and Israel have modified their laws to allow for varying degrees of cannabis legality and medical research.
(b) Purpose
The purpose of this Act is for the President and Congress to prepare the Federal Government for an inevitable and prompt end to Federal marihuana prohibition by establishing a commission to advise on the development of a regulatory framework with respect to marihuana regulation, including accounting for the different characteristics of communities, agencies, and industries impacted by Federal marihuana prohibition. Such regulatory framework shall be modeled after Federal and State regulatory frameworks with respect to alcohol.
Sec. 3. Definitions
In this Act:
(1) Cannabis
The term cannabis has the meaning given the term marihuana in section 102 of the Controlled Substances Act (21 U.S.C. 802).
(2) State
The term State includes the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and any territory or possession of the United States.
(3) State cannabis control commission
The term State cannabis control commission means any State commission, bureau, board, department, office, agency, division, or authority responsible for the regulation of the legal medical and recreational cannabis program of the State.
(4) Tribal government
The term Tribal government means the recognized governing body of any Indian or Alaska Native tribe, band, nation, pueblo, village, community, component band, or component reservation, individually identified (including parenthetically) in the list published most recently as of the date of enactment of this paragraph pursuant to section 104 of the Federally Recognized Indian Tribe List Act of 1994 (25 U.S.C. 5131).
Sec. 4. Commission establishment and membership
(a) Establishment
Not later than 30 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Attorney General shall establish a commission to be known as the Commission on the Federal Regulation of Cannabis
(in this Act referred to as the Commission
) to study a plausible and prompt pathway to cannabis regulation.
(b) Duties of Commission
(1) Proposal of measures
The Commission shall propose measures to alleviate and remedy—
(A)
the impact of cannabis criminalization, particularly on minority, low income, and veteran communities;
(B)
the lack of access to the financial service sector for cannabis entrepreneurs and their affiliated industries;
(C)
the lack of access to cannabis related research, including research on medical uses and the effects of impairment;
(D)
the lack of access to medical cannabis and research, particularly with respect to Federal agencies;
(E)
the lack of medical cannabis training at publicly funded medical training centers;
(F)
the lack of consistent regulations for cannabis product and safety, use, and labeling requirements, including requirements to protect youth and reduce harms to youth;
(G)
the lack of efficient cannabis revenue reporting and collecting, including efficient and tenable Federal revenue frameworks;
(H)
the lack of guidance for cannabis crop production, sale, intrastate, interstate, and international trade;
(I)
the lack of guidance regarding the successful coexistence of individual hemp and cannabis industries, including prevention of cross pollination of cannabis and hemp products; and
(J)
any other barriers to Federal cannabis legalization identified by the Commission.
(2) Public comment; public witness; reports
(A) Comment period
Not later than 60 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall solicit comment with respect to the regulation of cannabis from industry stakeholders, criminal justice reform advocates, substance use advocates, healthcare experts, State cannabis regulators, the Department of Justice of each State or Tribal government, and the public.
(B) Public witness hearing
(i) In general
Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall convene a witness hearing and solicit written or verbal testimony from participants in the cannabis industry. Such hearings shall include—
(I)
not less than 2 unique individuals or entities, who are not employed by the Federal Government, and represent a State legal operation that is licensed by a single State to sell, manufacture, produce, possess, distribute, administer, or deliver cannabis;
(II)
not less than 2 unique individuals or entities, who are not employed by the Federal Government, and represent a State legal operation with a multi-State presence that is licensed by such States to sell, manufacture, produce, possess, distribute, administer, or deliver cannabis;
(III)
an individual who was convicted and incarcerated by the Federal Government for a non-violent offense with respect to cannabis; and
(IV)
an individual who was convicted and incarcerated by a State for a non-violent offense with respect to cannabis.
(ii) Rule of construction
Nothing in this subparagraph shall be construed to limit the authority of the Commission to include additional participants at the public witness hearing if the participants referred to under clause (i) are included.
(iii) Public availability
Written and verbal testimony under clause (i) shall be made publicly available in the final recommendations published under paragraph (5).
(3) Initial report and recommendations
Not later than 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish initial findings and recommendations, including an identification of barriers to and suggestions for regulating cannabis in a way that is similar to the regulation of alcohol with respect to the rights of States, Tribal governments, and the Federal Government, on the internet website of the Department of Justice.
(4) Additional public comment period
Beginning 120 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall solicit additional public comment from stakeholders identified pursuant to paragraph (2)(A) with respect to the initial recommendations published pursuant to paragraph (3).
(5) Final recommendations
Not later than 1 year after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Commission shall publish a report including findings and recommendations, including an identification of barriers to and suggestions for regulating cannabis in a way that is similar to the regulation of alcohol, on the internet website of the Department of Justice.
(c) Membership
The Commission shall be composed of the following members:
(1)
The majority leader of the Senate shall appoint 1 member who is not employed by the Federal Government and was formerly incarcerated for a non-violent crime with respect to cannabis use or possession.
(2)
The minority leader of the Senate shall appoint 1 member who is not employed by the Federal Government and is an expert in substance abuse prevention.
(3)
The minority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint 1 member who is not employed by the Federal Government and is an expert in the history of cannabis criminalization and the impact of criminalization on various communities, particularly minorities, medical patients, and veterans.
(4)
The majority leader of the House of Representatives shall appoint 1 member who is not employed by the Federal Government and who is medically licensed with substantial knowledge and demonstrated research into cannabis use and medical treatments.
(5)
The Attorney General shall appoint 1 member from the Department of Justice, who is an expert in the history of cannabis criminalization and the impact of criminalization on various communities, particularly minorities, medical patients, and veterans.
(6)
The Director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
(7)
The Director of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
(8)
The Secretary of Education shall appoint 1 member from the Department of Education who is an expert in prevention of youth access to alcohol and tobacco.
(9)
The Director of Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
(10)
The Secretary of Agriculture shall appoint 1 member from the Department of Agriculture who is an expert on cannabis and hemp cultivation.
(11)
The Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration.
(12)
The Director of the Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau.
(13)
The Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service.
(14)
The United States Trade Representative.
(15)
The Secretary of Commerce shall appoint 1 member from the Department of Commerce who is an expert on regulated goods in interstate commerce.
(16)
The Secretary of Health and Human Services shall appoint 1 member from the Department of Health and Human Services who is an expert on medical cannabis use and access.
(17)
The Director of the National Institutes of Health.
(18)
The Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall appoint 1 member from the Department of Veterans Affairs with knowledge of treatments for pain management and post-traumatic stress disorder and for providing patients with affordable treatment options.
(19)
The Deputy Secretary of the Interior.
(20)
The Administrator of the Small Business Administration shall appoint 1 member from the Small Business Administration who is an expert in creating industry access for historically marginalized communities.
(21)
The Director of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.
(22)
The Secretary of Housing and Urban Development.
(23)
The Secretary of Labor.
(24)
The Secretary of the Treasury.
(25)
The Director of the Office of National Drug Control Policy.
(26)
The Director of the Office of Minority Health.
(27)
The Director of Indian Health Service.
(28)
One representative from a trade organization or other non-profit entity with members from multiple, highly regulated adult goods and consumer package goods, appointed by the Attorney General.
(29)
Two representatives who have worked on a State cannabis control commission to develop 2 successful, separate, and unique State-level regulatory systems, appointed by the Attorney General.
(d) Leadership
(1) Chairperson
The Chairperson shall be elected by the members of the Commission at the first meeting of the Commission.
(2) Secretary
The Secretary shall be elected by the members of the Commission at the first meeting of the Commission.
(3) Vacancies
A vacancy in the Chairperson or Secretary position shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made by the remaining members of the Commission.
(e) Membership by political party
If after the Commission is appointed there is a partisan imbalance of Commission members, the congressional leaders of the political party with fewer members on the Commission shall jointly name additional members to create partisan parity on the Commission.
(f) Appointments; removals; vacancies
(1) Timing of appointments
Each initial appointment to the Commission shall be made no later than 30 days after the Commission is established. If any appointing authorities fail to appoint a member to the Commission, their appointment shall be made by the Attorney General.
(2) Removal
A member of the Commission may be removed from the Commission at any time by the appointing authority should the member fail to meet Commission attendance requirement pursuant to subsection (g).
(3) Vacancies
A vacancy in the Commission shall be filled in the manner in which the original appointment was made prior to the date of the Commission’s next meeting.
(g) Meeting requirements
(1) First meeting
The Commission shall have its first meeting no later than 90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act.
(2) Quarterly meetings
The Commission shall meet quarterly. In addition to all quarterly meetings, the Commission shall meet at other times at the call of the Chairperson or as determined by a majority of Commission members.
(3) Quorum; rule for voting on final actions
A majority of the members of the Commission constitute a quorum, and an affirmative vote of a majority of the members present is required to issue recommendations.
(4) Attendance by members
Members are expected to attend all Commission meetings. In the case of an absence, members are expected to report to the Chairperson prior to the meeting and allowance may be made for an absent member to participate remotely. Members are responsible for fulfilling prior commitments, regardless of attendance status. If a member is absent 2 times in a given year, he or she will be reviewed by the Chairperson and appointing authority and further action will be considered, including removal and replacement on the Commission.
(h) Minutes
Minutes shall be taken at each meeting by the Secretary, or in that individual’s absence, the Chairperson shall select another Commission member to take minutes during that absence.
(i) Administrative requirements
The Attorney General shall provide staff and administrative support to the Commission. All entities of the United States Government shall provide information that is otherwise a public record at the request of the Commission.
(j) No rulemaking authority
The Commission shall not have rulemaking authority.
(k) Prohibition of compensation
(1) Federal employees
Members of the Commission who are full-time officers or employees of the United States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Commission.
(2) Other members
Members of the Commission who are not full-time officers or employees of the United States may not receive additional pay, allowances, or benefits by reason of their service on the Commission.