Rep. Dina Titus Named Co-Chair of Congressional Cannabis Caucus

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Washington, January 2, 2025 | Dick Cooper (202-734-0020)

Congresswoman Dina Titus, a long-standing advocate for reforming the nation's marijuana laws, announced today she has been appointed a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

Congresswoman Dina Titus, a long-standing advocate for reforming the nation's marijuana laws, announced today she has been appointed a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

"I am honored to serve in a leadership position to help shape our nation's marijuana policies," Congresswoman Titus said. "Whether it is access to banking services and regular tax treatment for cannabis businesses, veteran use of cannabis for medicinal purposes through the Veterans Administration, or pushing the federal government to reform its outdated scheduling of marijuana as a dangerous drug, there is much work to be done."

"In Nevada and the 23 other states that have decriminalized marijuana, the cannabis industry has demonstrated it is a responsible industry," Congresswoman Titus said. "It is time for the federal government to recognize that."

Congresswoman Titus, a member of the Cannabis Caucus since its inception in 2017, succeeds Congressman Earl Blumenauer, a founder of the caucus, who is retiring from Congress.

"Congresswoman Titus has been a steadfast supporter of Nevada's licensed cannabis businesses since day one," said Layke Martin, Executive Director of Nevada Cannabis Association. "She is very knowledgeable about the challenges cannabis businesses face, such as access to banking and lending for cannabis companies and their employees. We can count on her to be a voice in Congress for fair regulation, public safety, and supporting small businesses."

"Congresswoman Titus has been on the leading edge of support for sensible cannabis policy reform for as long as she has been in office, including in her time as a state senator prior to her congressional service. I know that she is very knowledgeable on this subject matter and greatly look forward to her leadership in this area," said Riana Durrett, Director, Cannabis Policy Institute, University of Nevada, Las Vegas.

"Through Representative Dina Titus' work in the Cannabis Caucus, the cannabis industry has seen support for federal banking reform and legislation for cannabis academic research," said James Humm, Executive Director of the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board. "Nevada's cannabis industry has benefitted from the advocacy of Congresswoman Titus, and our team is looking forward to collaborating with Rep. Titus as one of the Chairs of the Cannabis Caucus during the next Congress to help advance and grow the industry in Nevada."

Background

The Congressional Cannabis Caucus was founded at the start of the 115^th Congress by Representatives Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA), Don Young (R-AK), and Jared Polis (D-CO). The goal of the caucus is to provide a bipartisan forum to discuss and collaborate on a more rational approach to federal cannabis policy.

The congresswoman has long been a leader on cannabis policy. For more than a decade, she has supported legislation allowing veterans to access medical marijuana through the VA, expanding access to banking services for regulated marijuana businesses, and limiting the federal government's interference in state-legal cannabis programs. She has called on the Biden Administration to expedite reclassification of marijuana on the federal schedule of controlled substances.

Last Congress, Congresswoman Titus introduced the Higher Education Marijuana Research Act of 2023 to eliminate obstacles to the academic research of cannabis, protect universities and researchers who study it, and promote the responsible study of marijuana. In 2016, she authored "Puff, Puff, Pass… That Law: The Changing Legislative Environment on Medical Marijuana Policy" in Harvard Law School's Journal on Legislation.

Cannabis is legal for medical use in 38 states while it is legal for recreational use in 24 states. Nevada legalized the medical use of cannabis in 2000, with regulated sales starting in 2014. The state legalized the recreational use of cannabis in 2016. The first consumption lounge opened in Nevada in 2024.