US House Votes to Decriminalize Cannabis

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement  Act, also known as the MORE Act,  passed the US House of Representatives on December 4, 2020, but faces an uphill battle from Republicans  in the US Senate. 

The  MORE Act decriminalizes cannabis at the Federal level by removing it from "The Controlled Substances Act" and lets  states make their own cannabis policy. Judges are required to expunge Federal arrest records and a 5% tax will be set aside for helping communities recover from the war on drugs and programs to help with substance abuse, CBS News reports.    

On Wednesday in a House Judiciary hearing, where the MORE Act passed twenty-four to ten, after a two hour debate,  Chairman Jerry Nadler (D)  said in his opening remarks,  "For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a criminal justice problem instead of a matter of personal choice and public health. 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." (From Rep. Jerry Nadler's opening remarks)   

       Despite polls showing over 65% of Americans saying cannabis should be legal, many believing it to be less harmful than alcohol and Politico reporting the Senate now has 30 members from legal cannabis states, 6 of those Republicans, Republicans slammed Democrats for taking the vote during the pandemic.

Representative Kevin McCarthy R CA summed the Republican's frosty  response up on Twitter.  " This week, your House Democrat majority is tackling the tough issues by holding a vote on legalizing pot and banning tiger ownership. Nothing for small businesses.

Nothing for re-opening schools.

Nothing on battling the pandemic. Just cannabis and cats." (From Kevin McCarthy Twitter page)