House passes historic bill to decriminalize cannabis
The proposal would end a federal ban on marijuana and create a pathway to expunge related criminal records.
Dec. 4, 2020, 5:29 AM EST
By Alicia Victoria Lozano
As the cannabis industry continues to take root state by state, the House of Representatives voted in favor of removing marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act.
The House voted Friday on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, which decriminalizes cannabis and clears the way to erase nonviolent federal marijuana convictions. The Senate is unlikely to approve the bill.
The MORE Act also creates pathways for ownership opportunities in the emerging industry, allows veterans to obtain medical cannabis recommendations from Veteran Affairs doctors, and establishes funding sources to reinvest in communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.
Friday's vote was the first time a full chamber of Congress has taken up the issue of federally decriminalizing cannabis. Of the vote count, 222 Democrats were in favor of passing the MORE Act and six were against it. Five Republicans voted in favor of it and 158 voted against passing it.
more:
http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/congress-takes-historic-bill-decriminalize-cannabis-n1249905?cid=eml_nbn_20201204
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