The House on Friday passed legislation aimed at abolishing criminal penalties for those who distribute or possess marijuana in a 220-204 vote.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act previously passed the lower chamber last year but did not see movement in the Senate. The legislation includes language to impose a federal tax on marijuana sales, expunge marijuana-related convictions from individuals’ records, and remove it from the federal list of controlled substances.
Supporters of the legislation argue it’s a necessary step in reforming the criminal justice system, noting marijuana-related convictions have disproportionately affected minorities.
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“The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or the MORE Act, is long overdue legislation that would reverse decades of failed federal policies based on the criminalization of marijuana,” said House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler on the floor ahead of the vote. “For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a criminal justice problem instead of as a matter of personal choice or public health. Whatever one’s views on marijuana for recreation or medicinal, prosecution has proven unwise or unjust.”
Critics argue marijuana has proven to be a gateway drug and feel its use negatively affects society.
“We have rising violent crime in Democrat-run cities across the country, more drug use won’t help that. We have 100,000 Americans die of overdoses last year, the leading cause of death in Americans ages 18 to 45,” said Rep. Bob Good, a Virginia Republican. “More drug use won’t help that.”
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“Our government schools and our education systems are failing us,” Good said. “More drug use won’t help that. But in fact, this legislation has no prohibitions on edible forms of marijuana, flavored vape products, or other efforts to target specifically teens and young people.”
Thirty-seven states and the District of Columbia have enacted policies that have decriminalized marijuana.
