U.S. Rep. Dina Titus, D-Nev., has been named co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, a nearly 8-year-old group with members from both parties addressing marijuana-related issues.

“In Nevada and the 23 other states that have decriminalized marijuana, the cannabis industry has demonstrated it is a responsible industry,” Titus said in a statement. “It is time for the federal government to recognize that.”

Marijuana is still illegal under federal law.

Titus said she would work on issues such as the tax treatment for cannabis businesses and access to banking services in efforts to “to level that playing field.”

“Nevada's out front on legalizing marijuana is and it's a legitimate small business,” Titus said. “We'd like to see the federal government catch up with that, so that our small businesses get the tax breaks and the banking benefits of other small businesses.”

The use of cannabis for medicinal reasons is legal in 38 states, with Nevada joining the list about 25 years ago. There are also 24 states, including Nevada, that have legalized recreational use of marijuana.

Nevadans voted through a ballot initiative in 2016 to make recreational use permissible, and sales began the following year.

Marijuana remains classified as a “Schedule I” or a substance “with no currently accepted medical use and a high potential for abuse,” by the Drug Enforcement Administration. Last year, the Department of Justice proposed reclassifying the drug, and the DEA held a hearing regarding the issue last month at their headquarters in Arlington, Va.

Because of the federal view on marijuana, Veterans Affairs can’t recommend cannabis use for treatment, though it’s allowed in most states, and Titus said she would want to address this through the caucus. 

In line with most federal attitudes, the National Center for PTSD — a VA effort — shared a study last year that was critical of medicinal marijuana to treat veterans, concluding “research to date does not support cannabis as an effective PTSD treatment.” 

Titus said more research on cannabis is another priority and she will work to figure out how universities can fund these efforts.

“Some universities, including UNLV, would like to do research just to be sure what the impacts are, the medical effects are,” Titus said. “But they worry about doing it because they fear losing federal grant dollars.” 

Titus’ new leadership role comes as one of the caucus’ founders, U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer, D-Ore., retires from Congress.

Titus said she would be “pushing the federal government to reform its outdated scheduling of marijuana as a dangerous drug. There is much work to be done.”