As the cannabis industry continues to take root state by state, Congress will consider whether to remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act once and for all.
The House will vote Friday on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, which would decriminalize cannabis and clear the way to erase nonviolent federal marijuana convictions.
The MORE Act would also create pathways for ownership opportunities in the emerging industry, allow veterans to obtain medical cannabis recommendations from Veteran Affairs doctors and establish funding sources to reinvest in communities disproportionately affected by the war on drugs.
Friday’s vote would mark the first time a full chamber of Congress has taken up the issue of federally decriminalizing cannabis.