About a month ago, the U.S. UU. The House of Representatives voted to pass the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Elimination Act (MORE), which decriminalizes marijuana under federal law. On Friday, the House of Representatives approved a bill that would decriminalize marijuana use at the federal level.
He will now go to the Senate, where Democrats are already working to introduce their own marijuana legalization bill. Recreational use of marijuana remains illegal at the federal level. The House of Representatives recently approved a bill to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The House of Representatives on Friday approved a bill to legalize marijuana at the federal level for the second time in history, and also adopted a couple of amendments to the legislation before its final approval.
After an hour of debate on House Judicial Speaker Jerrold Nadler (D-NY)'s Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act and the passage of two amendments and the rejection of a third, the entire House voted 220-204 to end the federal ban on cannabis and promote social equity in industry. The vote fell largely along the party line, with only three Republicans supporting the measure and two Democrats opposing it. Nadler opened Friday's debate, calling the MORE Act “long-pending legislation that would reverse decades of failed federal policies based on the criminalization of marijuana. It also takes steps to address the high cost these policies have taken across the country, particularly among communities of color.
For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a criminal justice problem rather than a matter of personal choice and public health. House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) said the MORE Act “is an important piece of legislation, and you know this because voters have consistently chosen to legalize cannabis at the state level on the ballot paper. It also backtracked criticism from GOP members that Democrats were ignoring critical issues such as the war in Ukraine and inflation. The leader said that this bill is “what the American people tell us they think is the most appropriate thing to do.
The three Republicans who voted for general approval of the bill were representatives. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Brian Mast (R-FL) and Tom McClintock (R-CA). The two Democrats who voted against were representatives. Henry Cuellar (D-TX) and Chris Pappas (D-NH).
Barbara Lee (D-CA), co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said during the debate that “we must put an end to this failed policy of banning marijuana, which has led to the destruction of so many lives, mainly black and brown people, and yes, that is extremely important. He also thanked leaders for advancing legislation and advocated educating the public on the issue. And she paid tribute to the late representative. Don Young (R-AK), a pro-legalization Republican who had been part of the Cannabis Caucus and who voted for an earlier version of the MORE Act.
The other Democratic co-chair of the Cannabis Caucus, the former champion of reform, Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), said the MORE Act is “historic legislation, partly because we will send it to the Senate, where there is a different mentality for leaders. Democratic Caucus President Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), spoke in favor of the MORE Act during the debate.
Steve Cohen (D-TN) said that “it's no secret that the war on drugs failed, citing a 50-year-old report submitted by a commission appointed by President Richard Nixon that concluded that cannabis possession should be decriminalized, only to be ignored by all subsequent administrations. Another member of the Judicial Committee, Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) echoed the point of her Democratic colleagues, saying that “the war on drugs simply failed and “this bill is about the United States. Rep.
Cliff Bentz (R-OR), who managed floor time in opposition to the reform bill, acknowledged that it has been “obvious for years that at some point marijuana was going to be legalized earlier.”. Lou Correa (D-CA) highlighted that 37 states have legalized cannabis in some way and “even Canada has legalized cannabis and other nations around the world are legalizing cannabis. Nydia Velázquez (D-NY), who chairs the House Small Business Committee, said the MORE Act is “the best proposal to ensure that communities disproportionately affected by cannabis prohibition are better positioned to benefit from its legalization. David Cicilline (D-RI) said the MORE Act “takes an important step towards rectifying some of the damage caused by the failed war on drugs.
Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) said she supports the reform measure “on behalf of the countless families who have been disturbed and destroyed by our nation's failed drug policies and the devastating war on drugs.”. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who opposes the reform despite the approval of a legalization initiative by voters in his home state of Arizona, expressed concern about the increase in potency of cannabis products. He said the MORE Act is “reckless because in part because it doesn't set limits on THC.”. Jim Jordan (R-OH) argued that Democrats are moving the legalization of marijuana right now because “they cannot deal with the real problems facing the American people, such as “the problem of inflation, the problem of energy, the problem of illegal immigration on our southern border.”.
In his closing remarks, Nadler said that “federal laws have not kept pace with the obvious need for change and urged his colleagues to support the legislation. Nadler's MORE Act would deprogram marijuana by removing it from the list of drugs banned by the federal government under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). However, it would not require states to legalize cannabis and would maintain a level of regulatory discretion up to states. No one can be denied federal public benefits based solely on the use or possession of marijuana or a previous conviction of a minor for a cannabis offense.
Federal agencies could not use “past or present” cannabis or marijuana use as a criterion for granting, denying, or voiding a security clearance. Individuals cannot be penalized under federal immigration laws for any cannabis-related activity or conviction, whether it occurred before or after the enactment of legalization legislation. Bill Creates Process for Expunging Nonviolent Federal Criminal Records for Marijuana. Tax revenues from the sale of cannabis would be placed in a new “Opportunity Trust Fund.
Half of those tax dollars would support a “Community Reinvestment Grant Program” under the Department of Justice, 10 percent would support substance abuse treatment programs, 40 percent would go to the Federal Small Business Administration (SBA) to support implementation and a grant of newly created equitable license program. The program would further support funding for substance abuse treatment for people in communities disproportionately affected by drug criminalization. Those funds would be available to programs that provide services to people with substance abuse disorders for any drug, not just cannabis. While the bill would not oblige states to adopt legalization, it would create incentives to promote equity.
For example, the SBA would facilitate a program to grant licensing to states and localities that have moved to remove records of individuals with previous convictions for marijuana or “taken steps to eliminate violations or other penalties for individuals who are still under state or local criminal supervision by a cannabis- related crime or conduct rape now legal under state or local law. The bill's proposed Cannabis Restorative Opportunity Program would provide funding “for loans to help small businesses that are owned and controlled by people adversely affected by the Drug War in eligible states and localities.”. The Comptroller General, in consultation with the head of the U.S. UU.
(HHS), would need to conduct a study on the demographics of people who have faced federal marijuana convictions, “including information on age, race, ethnicity, sex and gender identity. The departments of treasury, justice and the SBA would need to “issue or amend any rules, standard operating procedures, and other legal or political guidance necessary to carry out the implementation of the MORE Act within one year of its enactment. The bill would impose certain packaging and labeling requirements. It also prescribes penalties for illegal conduct, such as illegal and unlicensed production or importation of cannabis products.
The Secretary of the Treasury would have to conduct a study “on the characteristics of the cannabis industry, with recommendations to improve industry regulation and related taxes. The Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) would need to “regularly collect, maintain and make public data on the demographics of marijuana business owners and workers. Workers in “safety-sensitive” positions, such as those regulated by the Department of Transportation, could continue to be drug tested for THC and face penalties for unauthorized use. Federal workers would also continue to be subject to existing drug testing policies.
References to “marijuana” or “marijuana” under federal law would be changed to “cannabis”. It's unclear if that would also apply to the title of the bill itself. Prior to the adoption of amendments in plenary on Friday, lawmakers had already made a change to the text of the MORE Act, which some advocates are applauding, as it would apparently give additional leeway to companies that would be required to obtain a federal permit to operate a marijuana business. On Thursday, the House of Representatives held a floor debate on the rule to consider the legalization bill, before which President Nancy Pelosi (D) said she is “in favor of the measure,” stressing that “many states have already enacted the policy change and therefore “this is consistent with what is happening in many states across the country.”.
After House leadership confirmed that the House would vote again on the MORE Act, majority and minority leaders of the Judiciary Committee released a nearly 500-page report on what the legislation would achieve and outlined arguments for and against reform. In addition, following a Rules Committee vote on the legislation on Wednesday, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report concluding that enactment of the MORE Act would add billions in revenues and reduce prison costs over the next decade. The decision to hold another vote on the cannabis legalization bill comes weeks after Congressional Democrats held a closed session to the press at a party retreat that included a panel that focused heavily on reform legislation. Joyce separately sent Nadler a letter last month, expressing willingness to work with the bill sponsor on revisions to build bipartisan support.
Meanwhile, advocates and stakeholders eagerly await the formal filing of a separate Senate legalization bill that is being finalized by Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and colleagues. Schumer recently said the plan is to introduce that bill, the Cannabis Administration's Opportunities Act %26 (CAOA) in April. Also in Congress, a separate bill to tax and regulate marijuana is also at stake this session. Nancy Mace (R-SC) is sponsoring that legislation, and said in a recent interview that she has received assurances from Democratic leaders that her State Reform Act will receive a hearing after the floor vote on the MORE Act.
Meanwhile, on the same day that it was announced that the MORE Act would return to the plenary, the Senate unanimously approved a bipartisan bill aimed at promoting marijuana research, in part by simplifying the application process for researchers who want to study the plant and promote marijuana research, in part by simplifying the application process for researchers who want to study the plant and promote food. and the Drug Administration (FDA) to develop cannabis-derived drugs. Congressional researchers recently released a separate report detailing the challenges posed by the ongoing federal ban and the options legislators have available to address them. GOP Cannabis Caucus Leader Explains Why He Opposes Marijuana Legalization Bill to Get House of Representatives Vote (Op-Ed).
Washington Treasurer Urges Colleagues in Other States to Pressure Congress to Pass Bill. This policy change has long been a focus of the Marijuana Justice Coalition, an association of organizations fighting for federal marijuana reform in the United States. The U.S. House of Representatives narrowly approved a far-reaching reform bill that would end the ban on marijuana by removing marijuana from the federal list of controlled substances.
Since marijuana use has become legal in several states, it remains illegal under federal law, making it difficult for licensed companies that sell marijuana to use the banking system. Federal decriminalization of marijuana could still be a long way off, but other proposals show how the tone towards marijuana is changing. . .
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