House Democrats are set to pass a bill that would remove marijuana from the federal controlled substances list and eliminate criminal penalties associated with the drug at the federal level.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, authored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, would also fund programs to help communities negatively impacted by the war on drugs by imposing a federal tax on marijuana sales.
The MORE Act, which the House passed last Congress, should get a vote on the floor by the end of the week after passing the House Rules Committee which should discuss it on Wednesday.
The Rules Committee will prepare the bill for floor action, including by determining which amendments will be allowed for consideration.
Six Democrats voted against the bill when a version of the legislation was passed n a 228-164 vote, in the House in 2020, and five Republicans supported it.
According to House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, the legislation aims to restore justice to disproportionately impacted communities of color where possession of even small amounts of marijuana led to harsh penalties and provide them with resources to support long-term economic recovery efforts.
Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer previously vowed he’ll prioritize legalizing marijuana at the federal level, asking senators who have dealt with the legalization challenges in their own states and Chairs and Ranking Members of relevant committees for input on legislation he’s been working on with Democratic Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden, who’s currently serving as Senate Finance Committee Chairman.
However, considering the fact that the legislation would need 60 votes- plus the support of at least 10 Republican senators if every Democrat backed it – to advance, it is expected that marijuana legislation will hit a wall in the Senate.
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