House To Vote on Bill That Would Remove Federal Penalties on Marijuana

The U.S. House will vote next month on a measure to remove federal penalties on marijuana, Politico reports.

In a letter to colleagues this week, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer said the House will vote on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act to decriminalize marijuana and expunge convictions for non-violent marijuana offenses. These offenses “have prevented many Americans from getting jobs, applying for credit and loans, and accessing opportunities that make it possible to get ahead in our economy,” Hoyer wrote.

The House was originally scheduled to vote on the MORE Act in September. But some Democrats in tight races were concerned that voters would disapprove of legalizing marijuana before passing a deal on coronavirus aid, the article notes.

In a news release, Reps. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Earl Blumenauer (D-OR), co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, said, “One of the biggest winners of the 2020 election was cannabis reform. Americans in five very different states voted overwhelmingly to liberalize their cannabis policies, and it is clearer than ever that the American people are demanding a change to outdated cannabis laws.”