Our Focus
Is Action
Project Champion, led by former NFL stars Ricky Williams, Jim McMahon, and Kyle Turley, is dedicated to advancing cannabis legalization through focused advocacy and education. On this page, you will find expanded explanations of each of our organizational priorities, detailing our efforts to promote legislative change, support community initiatives, and champion the benefits of cannabis for health and wellness.
SAFER Banking
The Secure and Fair Enforcement Regulation (SAFER) Banking Act would provide safe harbor for financial institutions and other ancillary businesses that work with cannabis industry clients, thus increasing the industry's access to traditional financial services like loans and deposit accounts. SAFER passed through committee in September but has not yet been sent to the floor for a full vote.
Sponsors: Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) & Sen. Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
Co-Sponsors: 146 (view here)
Introduced
Passed Committee
Passed Senate
Passed House
To President
Become Law
Rescheduling
Rescheduling Cannabis from Schedule 1 to Schedule 3
For decades, the federal government has categorized cannabis as a Schedule I substance, labeling it as having a "high potential for abuse" and "no currently accepted medical use in treatment" in the United States. However, fifty years after the Controlled Substances Act grouped marijuana with heroin and LSD regarding its perceived dangers, the era of cannabis being one of the most incongruously restricted substances in the nation may be coming to an end.
The Department of Health & Human Services has recommended to the Drug Enforcement Agency that cannabis be reclassified from a Schedule I drug to a Schedule III drug. According to the DEA, Schedule III drugs, substances, or chemicals are defined as drugs with a moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence. Schedule III drugs abuse potential is less than Schedule I and Schedule II drugs but more than Schedule IV. Some examples of Schedule III drugs are: products containing less than 90 milligrams of codeine per dosage unit (Tylenol with codeine), ketamine, anabolic steroids, testosterone.
The reclassification would also ease some of the restrictions on studying the drug and would provide relief to cannabis operators from the punitive IRS tax code 280E.