U.S. Senator From North Carolina Says Marijuana Should Be Legal and Regulated Like Alcohol and Tobacco, Calls Rescheduling “Half-Assed”

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The North Carolina Republican’s stance diverges from most of his GOP colleagues, who generally oppose legalization.

In an interview with AskAPol published Tuesday, Tillis stated, “I think we’re reaching a point to where we’ve got to take a look” at broader cannabis reform. He dismissed the Biden administration’s move to reclassify marijuana as a Schedule III substance and the bipartisan Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act as “half-assed measures.” According to Tillis, these incremental reforms fail to address the larger issue of establishing a consistent federal policy. “We probably need to look at a federal comprehensive framework to deal with the banking issues and scheduling issues,” he said. “But in my opinion, we need a federal regimen that’s not unlike what we have for tobacco and alcohol, where you authenticate the crops on the front end, mandate flavorings and delivery methods through the FDA, and allow banking.”

Tillis expressed concern about the lack of uniform regulation, which he believes enables cartels and illicit operators to profit. He also criticized hemp-derived products, like CBD, suggesting they are “more harmful” than marijuana flower. Without a federal system, he said, “we’re dancing around the issue.”

When asked if he would support the SAFER Banking Act, Tillis said “no,” arguing that passing banking reforms without broader legalization would hinder the development of a comprehensive framework. He also pointed to states like California, claiming that off-the-books operations are flourishing and undermining legitimate markets.

“It all needs to be regulated, and my focus is on capturing the revenue we should probably capture through an excise tax and dealing with all the negative consequences,” Tillis concluded.