FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, December 2, 2020

Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org

Legislation to End Federal Marijuana Prohibition is Expected to Receive a Floor Vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday

Washington, D.C. — Today, the U.S. House Rules Committee voted to advance the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act. The bill is expected to receive a full vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Friday, marking the first-ever floor vote in Congress to end federal prohibition.

If enacted into law, the MORE Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act; require federal courts to expunge prior cannabis-related convictions and provide for resentencing; provide grants and funding to communities most harmed by the war on cannabis; lift barriers to licensing and employment in the cannabis industry; block federal agencies from denying public benefits or security clearances due to cannabis use; protect immigrants from being denied citizenship over cannabis; and allow VA physicians to recommend medical cannabis to veterans. A summary of the bill’s key provisions can be found here. 

Statement from Steven Hawkins, executive director at the Marijuana Policy Project:
“Following today’s favorable vote, members of the U.S. House of Representatives on both sides of the aisle now have the opportunity and responsibility to come together and pass this important piece of legislation. The prohibition and criminalization of marijuana has led to decades of injustice and devastating consequences, and it’s clear that a strong majority of Americans do not support the status quo. It is past time for Congress to take real action.”

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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 10 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.

Visit www.mpp.org for more information.