Here in US, there is no license required
for CB, and getting on the ham bands requires a somewhat lengthy
licensing process.

Huh? I got on the FCC's ULS site, got an FRN, went to arrl.org, found
a test session, took my test and passed it.

It took one week from thought to license.

Of course, after 25 years in CB radios, scanning, SWL and such with
an electronics background, it was a no-brainer. It took no studying!