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Democratic House Passes MORE Act To Decriminalize Marijuana
The House passed the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana AND erase past convictions. It’s an overdue step in addressing unjust drug laws that have torn apart Black and Brown communities.
The House of Representatives passed the MORE Act on December 4, 2020 by a vote of 228-164. The vote fell largely along party lines, with 6 Democrats voting against the bill and 5 Republicans voting for it. The chamber’s lone Libertarian member, Rep. Justin Amash, voted for it.
“I’m so proud that the MORE Act passed the House by a bipartisan vote of 228 to 164,” House Judiciary Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) tweeted after the vote went final. “I introduced this bill to provide restorative justice, modernize America’s cannabis laws, and deliver meaningful investments to America’s communities & small businesses. Now, let’s make it a law.”
This is a landmark bill that gives back to the minority communities that over-policing of marijuana has destroyed.
If the MORE Act is signed into law, not only would cannabis businesses be on the same plane as any other small business, it would allow owners of color easier access to Small Business Administration grants, and let them draw from a trust funded by a federal five-percent tax on cannabis retail sales. The trust would also go toward job development and legal training initiatives in communities disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs. Those charged or convicted of low-level federal cannabis offenses as a result of prohibition would have their records expunged, and states would be incentivized to do the same
“The communities that have been victimized by the War on Drugs should have an opportunity to receive some resources to help repair the harms that have been caused,” Hawkins says. “That’s really what’s at the heart of the MORE Act.”
This is an incredible step even if the Republican-controlled Senate stalls it FOR NOW.
....the Senate isn’t expected to take it up any time soon. In May, McConnell stifled laughter as he mocked cannabis banking provisions Democrats included in their coronavirus relief proposal. As the vote has drawn near this week, the GOP has gleefully bashed the bill as a frivolous distraction.
But moving the MORE Act through the Senate immediately is not the point. A cannabis legalization bill passing in the House is a monumental achievement to build on in service of advancing both the industry and the fight against the War on Drugs.