The House passed Friday a bill decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, a sweeping measure that intends to reduce racial inequities in drug arrests. The measure, which would remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances and expunge federal convictions for non-violent marijuana offenses, now goes to the Senate.
According to A report from The Hill, the measure, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, passed on a largely party-line vote of 228-164. Six Democrats voted against the legislation and five Republicans voted for it. The GOP-controlled Senate is not expected to take up the measure.
The bill would allow states to establish their own rules and regulations regarding sales and access to medical cannabis. Individuals would no longer be prosecuted federally for marijuana offenses, leaving the question of legality to states.
“The MORE Act is a common-sense bill that will make a tangible, real difference in the lives of millions of Americans. I’m proud of this bill centered around ideals of racial, economic, and moral justice and I look forward to the House passing it today,” House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), who introduced the bill, tweeted before Friday’s vote.
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“This long overdue legislation would reverse the failed policy of criminalizing marijuana on the federal level and would take steps to address the heavy toll this policy has taken across the country, particularly on communities of color,” Nadler said in a statement after the MORE Act was passed.
Recreational cannabis is legal in 15 states and Washington, D.C., and 34 states have legalized medical marijuana.
Racial disparities
Friday’s bill was supported by groups like the National Cannabis Industry Association, the Marijuana Policy Project and the American Civil Liberties Union, which all lobbied for its passage.
According to a report from the American Civil Liberties Union passed this year, African-Americans are 3.6 times more likely than White Americans to be arrested for marijuana, despite similar usage rates. However, ACLU data also found that racial disparities remain in arrests in some states which have legalized or decriminalized cannabis.
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