H.R. 689, the States’ Medical Marijuana Patient Protection Act, is not new: Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) introduced it in previous sessions, but as he’s now retired Blumenauer has become chief sponsor, proposing to reclassify marijuana in the Schedule of Controlled Substances and order the federal government to abide by state laws regarding the drug. The second bill is H.R. 710, which would “provide an affirmative defense for the medical use of marijuana in accordance with the laws of the various States.”

“The most prominent portions of the bill would lead to marijuana being rescheduled, as noted in the bill it would be rescheduled to a schedule other than Schedule I or Schedule II,” Steve Fox, national political director for the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), told Raw Story.