End the War on a Plant

Legalize it nationwide. Bank it like any business. Clear the records and bring people home.

The Destination

TIP supports legalizing cannabis nationwide by removing it from the federal Controlled Substances Act entirely, so cannabis businesses have the same banking, tax, and legal rights as any other lawful business, and so no American sits in a cell or carries a record for a plant that is already legal for adults in many states.

“It’s insane how many people in my neighborhood went to jail for smoking a plant.” — Greg Peace, Founder and Chief Navigator

Where Things Stand (October 2026)

Partial rescheduling, not legalization. In April 2026, the federal government moved FDA-approved marijuana drugs and state-licensed medical marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III. Recreational cannabis remains in Schedule I. A DEA hearing on moving the rest of marijuana to Schedule III has been held; no final decision has been issued.
Rescheduling frees no one. Moving cannabis to Schedule III does not release anyone in prison for cannabis, clear any record, or restore any rights.
Banking is still blocked. The SAFE Banking Act was reintroduced in June 2026. Earlier versions passed the House seven times and died in the Senate every time. Even if passed, it would only protect banks that serve state-legal businesses; cannabis would remain federally illegal.
The tax penalty is only partly lifted. Businesses now in Schedule III can take normal business deductions. Recreational businesses still pay the special penalty tax (Section 280E) on their gross income.

TIP’s position: half-measures are not the destination. Descheduling is.

The Stops

Stop 1: Deschedule Cannabis

Fixed: Remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act entirely. Adult use (21 and older) becomes legal under federal law.

Flexible: Regulated like alcohol and tobacco: a federal framework for product safety, testing, and labeling. States keep the power to license and regulate sales within their borders, including the choice to keep sales closed.

Stop 2: Full Banking Parity

Fixed: Cannabis businesses get the same access to bank accounts, loans, credit cards, payment processing, and insurance as any other lawful business. No more cash-only businesses and the robberies they invite.

Flexible: Until descheduling passes, TIP supports the SAFE Banking Act as an interim step, not the finish line.

Stop 3: Equal Tax Treatment

Fixed: End Section 280E for all cannabis businesses. They pay taxes like every other business, not a penalty on gross income.

Flexible: Any federal excise tax rate is TBA, and a share is directed to the communities hit hardest by enforcement (see Stop 6).

Stop 4: Bring People Home

Fixed: Release everyone in federal custody solely for nonviolent cannabis offenses, through presidential pardon and commutation and through federal resentencing.

Flexible: Federal funding to help states do the same, with matching rates TBA. People released go through the halfway-house bridge in the Housing for All plank and sign up for 2KUSA before release.

Stop 5: Clear the Records

Fixed: Automatic federal expungement of nonviolent cannabis convictions and arrests. No application, no fee, no lawyer required. A cleared record is legally treated as if it never happened.

Flexible: States are funded to clear state records (matching rate TBA). Timeline for completing all federal records TBA.

Stop 6: Restore What Was Taken

Fixed: A past cannabis offense can no longer be used to deny housing, student aid, a professional license, a job in federal hiring, or the right to vote.

Flexible: Agencies get a deadline (TBA) to update their rules. Revenue from Stop 3 funds job training and small-business support in affected communities. Immigration is not covered by this stop: under TIP’s immigration plank, a felony is a felony for someone undocumented, including a cannabis felony. Cannabis misdemeanors, including repeat misdemeanors, do not count against amnesty. Cleared felony records go to the dedicated immigration court described in that plank.

Stop 7: Ownership, Not Just Access

Fixed: People with past cannabis convictions cannot be barred from getting a cannabis business license. The people who were punished for the plant should be able to own businesses in the legal market.

Flexible: Licensing priority and low-cost startup loans for people and neighborhoods harmed by enforcement; program size TBA.

Stop 8: Veterans First

Fixed: Veterans can discuss and use medical cannabis through the VA without losing any benefit.

Flexible: VA research and prescribing rules developed with veterans’ groups. Rules for active-duty service members are set by the military and stay in force until they change (see the caution below).

Stop 9: Protect Kids and Roads

Fixed: Legal for adults 21 and older only. Driving while impaired stays illegal. Products are tested and labeled, and marketing to children is banned.

Flexible: Federal funding for research into reliable roadside impairment testing.

What Critics Say, and TIP’s Answer

In keeping with TIP’s commitment to transparency, here are the strongest objections.

Public health and youth use. Critics worry legalization increases use among young people and heavy users. TIP’s answer: the 21+ age limit, a ban on marketing to children, and tested products. Prohibition did not keep cannabis away from kids; it handed sales to unregulated dealers.
Impaired driving. There is no simple roadside test for cannabis impairment like the breathalyzer for alcohol. TIP’s answer: impaired driving stays illegal, and Stop 9 funds research into better testing.
Big business takeover. Some reform advocates warn that legalization mostly enriches large corporations while the people who were jailed get nothing. TIP’s answer: Stops 4 through 7 put release, records, restored rights, and ownership in the same plank as legalization, not in a promise for later.
Leave it to the states. Some argue the federal government should stay out entirely. TIP’s answer: descheduling ends the federal ban, and states keep control of their own markets under Stop 1.

A Caution for Service Members

Until federal law and military rules change, cannabis use remains prohibited for active-duty service members, even in states where it is legal, and random drug testing still applies. TIP’s position is about changing the law. It is not permission to break the law as it stands today.