The House of Representatives has approved legislation that would decriminalize marijuana and seek to "address the devastating injustices caused by the War on Drugs" (article available here).
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement or MORE Act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and eliminate criminal penalties for individuals who manufacture, distribute or possess marijuana. It also includes creating a process to remove prior convictions, known as expungement, and conduct sentencing review hearings for federal cannabis offenses.
Friday's vote in the Democratic-led House is the first time a chamber of Congress has voted on federal marijuana decriminalization. The legislation is not expected to pass in the Republican-controlled Senate.
Despite the federal government's continuing criminalization of marijuana, 36 states and the District of Columbia have legalized medical cannabis. Fifteen states and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for adult recreational use.