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Podcasts Take Two
Movement in Congress to change US marijuana laws gains momentum
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Feb 5, 2013
Listen • 7:15
Movement in Congress to change US marijuana laws gains momentum
An effort is building in Congress to change U.S. marijuana laws, including moves to legalize the industrial production of hemp and establish a hefty federal pot tax.
A woman passes a joint at a pro-marijuana "4/20" celebration in front of the Colorado state capitol building April 20, 2010 in Denver.
A woman passes a joint at a pro-marijuana "4/20" celebration in front of the state capitol building April 20, 2010 in Denver, Colorado. Colorado, one of 14 states to allow use of medical marijuana, has experienced an explosion in marijuana dispensaries, trade shows and related businesses in the last year as marijuana use has become more mainstream.
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John Moore/Getty Images
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An effort is building in Congress to change U.S. marijuana laws, including moves to legalize the industrial production of hemp and establish a hefty federal pot tax.

Meanwhile, as the state Supreme Court considers what to do with medical marijuana dispensaries, members of Congress are quietly working on other measures to change how this nation deals with pot. Today, two Congressmen plan to introduce legislation which would remove oversight of marijuana from the DEA and create a federal tax on the drug.

Tony Dokoupil is our guest. He's a Senior Writer at The Daily Beast and is working on a book about the marijuana business in America.