Washington, DC: Members of the House Rules Committee on Wednesday advanced the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3884, which removes marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act – thereby eliminating the existing conflict between state and federal marijuana laws. The legislation is expected to be considered on the floor of the House of Representatives as soon as this Friday.
“The historic nature of this vote cannot be overstated,” said NORML Political Director Justin Strekal. “For the first time in American history, the public will see the ‘People’s House’ vote to end the senseless, cruel, and racist policy of marijuana criminalization and prohibition.”
He added, “We give our thanks to the leadership of Rules Committee Chairman Jim McGovern and to the hundreds of other members of Congress, their staffs, and other advocates and allies who worked diligently to ensure that we made it to this moment.”
In addition to federally descheduling marijuana, the MORE Act would also make several other important changes to federal marijuana policy. For example, it permits physicians affiliated with the Veterans Administration for the first time to make medical cannabis recommendations to qualifying veterans who reside in legal states, and it incentivizes states to move ahead with expungement policies that will end the stigma and lost opportunities suffered by those with past, low-level cannabis convictions. The MORE Act also allows the Small Business Administration to support entrepreneurs and businesses as they seek to gain a foothold in this emerging industry.
For more information, contact Justin Strekal, NORML Political Director.