The following information was released by the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML).
Momentum continues to grow for comprehensive marijuana policy reform as Congress prepares to vote for only second time in history to repeal federal prohibition
WASHINGTON, DC: Members of the US House of Representatives have announced that they will hold a floor vote next week on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act. The MORE Act, or H.R. 3617, removes marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, facilitates expungement and resentencing for nonviolent federal marijuana convictions, promotes diverse participation in the regulated cannabis industry, and helps repair the racially and economically disparate harms caused by our nation’s disastrous prohibition policies.
“Advancing this legislation to deschedule marijuana and to help those individuals and communities that have borne the brunt of America’s failed prohibition is pivotal,” said NORML’s Political Director Morgan Fox. “More than two-thirds of Americans support repealing the federal prohibition of marijuana prohibition, and they deserve to know where our elected officials stand on this issue.
“On behalf of cannabis consumers nationwide and the people who have been victimized and marginalized by our misguided federal marijuana laws, we thank House Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer, House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler, Reps. Earl Blumenauer, Jim Clyburn, Hakeem Jeffries, Barbara Lee, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ed Perlmutter, Nydia Velasquez, and many others for their steadfast support for comprehensive marijuana policy reform and for their efforts to bring this legislation to a vote.”
This legislation was previously approved in the House in December of 2020, but it did not receive a hearing in the Senate. Next week’s vote will mark only the second time in more than 50 years that a chamber of Congress has revisited the classification of cannabis as a federally prohibited substance.
NORML advocates for changes in public policy so that the responsible possession and use of marijuana by adults is no longer subject to criminal penalties. NORML further advocates for a regulated commercial cannabis market so that activities involving the for-profit production and retail sale of cannabis and cannabis products are safe, transparent, consumer-friendly, and are subject to state and/or local licensure. Finally, NORML advocates for additional changes in legal and regulatory policies so that those who use marijuana responsibly no longer face either social stigma or workplace discrimination, and so that those with past criminal records for marijuana-related violations have the opportunity to have their records automatically expunged.
Find out more at norml.org and read our Fact Sheets on the most common misconceptions and myths regarding reform efforts around the country
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