COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — Republican Rep. Nancy Mace of South Carolina has introduced legislation to federally decriminalize marijuana.
It's a measure she says would give states freer rein to pass their own laws and regulations without fear of federal reprisals.
The measure announced Monday was met immediately with criticism from conservatives in her home state, some of whom vowed opposition to any effort toward legalization.
Mace says a half-dozen GOP House members would be cosponsors of the bill, which she says would aim to regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol and prohibit its use for anyone under 21.
It would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level but would not change local-level restrictions.
