Introduction of the Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act of 2020
Floor Speech
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Mr. BLUMENAUER. Madam Speaker, the COVID-19 pandemic has upended life as we know it and has impacted every aspect of American society. The abrupt health and economic turmoil caused by COVID-19 has left businesses, workers and families questioning the security of their futures. Our nation's small businesses are among those who have felt this pandemic most acutely. To prevent workers from choosing between their health and a paycheck we passed sweeping and unprecedented legislation to shield American businesses from the full economic consequences of COVID-19. However, state-legal cannabis small businesses were excluded from this economic relief and remain ill- equipped to respond to the health and economic crisis before them.
Small businesses across the country are being asked to do their part in keeping their workers, customers, and families safe. To support these efforts, on March 27, 2020, the President signed into law the CARES Act, which contains $376 billion in relief for American workers and small businesses. However, many state-legal cannabis small businesses are not eligible for this-relief and are being asked to protect workers and their families without the federal support available to other American small businesses. State-legal cannabis entrepreneurs and their workers are no different from those of other industries, and since COVID-19 does not discriminate, the inability of certain groups to protect themselves could inadvertently jeopardize the health of us all.
The Emergency Cannabis Small Business Health and Safety Act would open access to SBA assistance relating to COVID-19 to state-legal cannabis businesses and their service providers. Specifically, this legislation would allow state-legal cannabis businesses to be eligible for the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP), Economic Injury Disaster Loans (EIDL), and Economic Injury Disaster Loans emergency advances. Among other things, this support is specifically designed to be used to pay workers, group health benefits and paid sick leave.
The health and safety of the American people must be put first during the COVID-19 pandemic. Without doing so, we risk undermining the efforts of us all.
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