sherry lee
Member
The House of Representatives just passed the MORE Act, the first cannabis legalization bill to make it to Congress. The Act passed on Friday, December 4th, by a vote of 228 to 164. The vote was largely split down party lines, with all but six Democrats voting for the bill and all but five Republicans voting against it.
The MORE Act would decimalize marijuana at the federal level and start the process of giving back to those communities hit hardest by the War on Drugs. When Democrats took the house in 2018, cannabis advocates knew there was work to be done and a limited time to do it in. Every couple of years, more states legalize cannabis, whether for medical or recreational use. That number grew again after the November election making Federal decriminalization inevitable. With the first Democratic majority since 2011, the house and cannabis justice advocates saw their best chance to bring the federal law in line with state laws. The result was the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.
This landmark act is the first time either chamber of Congress voted on a bill to legalize cannabis, but the Act goes much further than just decriminalizing it. The bill covers several social and justice measures that would help those communities who took the brunt of the War on Drugs while putting in place an equitable industry where those impacted most by prohibition have a seat at the table.
Excerpts from the article: Weed Legalization Bill Passed in House of Representatives
The MORE Act would decimalize marijuana at the federal level and start the process of giving back to those communities hit hardest by the War on Drugs. When Democrats took the house in 2018, cannabis advocates knew there was work to be done and a limited time to do it in. Every couple of years, more states legalize cannabis, whether for medical or recreational use. That number grew again after the November election making Federal decriminalization inevitable. With the first Democratic majority since 2011, the house and cannabis justice advocates saw their best chance to bring the federal law in line with state laws. The result was the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.
This landmark act is the first time either chamber of Congress voted on a bill to legalize cannabis, but the Act goes much further than just decriminalizing it. The bill covers several social and justice measures that would help those communities who took the brunt of the War on Drugs while putting in place an equitable industry where those impacted most by prohibition have a seat at the table.
Excerpts from the article: Weed Legalization Bill Passed in House of Representatives
