Representative Dave Joyce introduced the STATES 2.0 Act on April 17, 2025. The official introduced version records referrals to Energy and Commerce, Judiciary, and Transportation and Infrastructure. GovInfo’s retrieved 2026 History of Bills lists those referrals and an August 6 cosponsor addition, without a passage entry. These records support describing a legislative proposal. [2][4]
The central mechanism would exempt qualifying marijuana activity from most Controlled Substances Act provisions and treat cannabis handled in compliance with state or qualifying tribal law as outside the federal schedules. Specified exceptions would remain. A consequential limitation appears in the tribal provision: the tribe’s jurisdiction must be within a state permitting the relevant activity. [1]
The interstate provision would protect transportation between jurisdictions that permit the relevant cannabis activity, including passage through intervening states or tribal territory. Origin and destination jurisdictions could retain reasonable restrictions addressing time, place, manner, health, and safety. That is a framework for regulated commerce, with permission at both ends. [1]
The sponsor’s explanation identifies relief from section 280E tax restrictions for compliant conduct and protections concerning transaction proceeds. The draft also assigns FDA responsibilities for product categories and requires rules addressing contaminants, manufacturing, and marketing for certain products. It retains age safeguards, with a medical exception in its provisions concerning distribution to people under 21. [3]
The introduced text contains no automatic federal expungement program. Verification limit: the live Congress.gov action history was unavailable during the November 14, 2026 review. The linked official action page should be consulted for later developments; this analysis concerns the introduced version. [1][5]
Our position.
Congress should protect people who follow their jurisdiction’s cannabis rules. Tribal self-government, affordable patient access, and relief for past convictions need explicit protections alongside licensed commerce.
Questions and next steps.
Ask your U.S. representative to explain their position on H.R. 2934 and request a public committee hearing. Ask specifically about the tribal condition, interstate safeguards, small-business participation, and whether separate legislation will provide automatic record relief.
Find your lawmakersThis is a dated policy explainer for public discussion. Laws, court orders and implementation dates can change. Check the official sources before relying on a legal detail. How we report and classify policy.