For marijuana users, a landmark vote in the U.S. House of Representatives could nationally legalize the famous green leaf across the nation; essentially removing it off the schedule 1 substance list.
In 2019, the House Judiciary Committee passed a bill that began the wheels turning for the nation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, giving states more opportunity to create unique regulations.
The “Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019” ( known as MORE Act)– could officially see remove cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances, expunging federal marijuana convictions and arrests, and approve the allocation of resources for communities affected by the war on drugs, according to the bill’s original text.
“The House of Representatives is expected to vote on the #MORE Act next month, and we could not be more excited! Special thanks to @SpeakerPelosi, @RepJerryNadler, @KamalaHarris, and @repblumenauer for their work on reform,” tweeted the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce.
“These steps are long overdue. For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a criminal justice problem instead of a matter of personal choice and public health,” said Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y, the committee’s chairman. “Whatever one’s views on the use of marijuana for recreational or medicinal purposes, arresting, prosecuting, and incarcerating users at the federal level is unwise and unjust.”
Already, eleven states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use, with 33 states including the District of Columbia have also already legalized medical cannabis.
Should the bill pass in the House, it will move to the Senate, where its lead sponsor is Sen. Kamala Harris, D-Calif., (the Democratic nominee for vice president). Majority leader Mitch McConnell has previously noted he does not plan to endorse the legislation.
Presidential Democratic candidate Joe Biden is also in favor of this bill should it move forward as well as the expunging of criminal records for possession charges which accompanies the bill should it be passed.
However, President Donald Trump has already stated he is not in favor of the bill and will not support a vote.
