As one of the lone Republicans on this issue, I recognize that bipartisanship is the only foundation upon which Congress can build the consensus necessary to enact impactful cannabis reform.
To responsibly end prohibition, the federal government must simultaneously issue a regulatory framework that works in conjunction with states’ specifics needs.
Furthermore, most, if not all, of my colleagues from both sides of the aisle agree with me: aside from the physician-prescribed treatment of a minor, cannabis must remain an adult use product.
While an estimated 250 to 2,500 individuals carry federal cannabis charges that are eligible for expungements under the MORE Act, the overwhelming majority of cannabis-related charges exist at the state and local level.
By failing to establish a regulatory framework upon ending federal prohibition, targeting expungement relief to individuals with federal records and further polarizing this issue rather than building the foundation necessary for bipartisan buy-in, the MORE Act is a messaging bill at best and at worst, irresponsible.
Since the House last voted on the MORE Act, a number of more targeted, bipartisan cannabis reform proposals have been introduced.
Despite my concerns with the MORE Act, I applaud many of my Democratic colleagues’ commitment to addressing the federal government’s antiquated cannabis policy and am proud to work alongside them to advance this important issue, particularly my fellow caucus co-chairs, Reps.
But to do so, we have to quit the games and instead act on effective, achievable cannabis reform that can build the bipartisan consensus necessary to become law and improve the lives of millions.
President Joe Biden agrees that “our current marijuana laws are not working,” White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki told reporters on Friday just hours after the U.S.
The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act passed along mostly partisan lines, with all but two Democrats voting to advance it to the Senate.
But while the MORE Act includes provisions to support those objectives, it goes further.
For example, in Biden’s latest budget proposal for Fiscal Year 2023, he again proposed the continuation of a rider blocking Washington, D.C.
Biden has received about a dozen letters from lawmakers, advocates, celebrities and people impacted by criminalization to do something about the people who remain behind federal bars over cannabis.
Now all eyes are on the Senate, where leadership is separately preparing to introduce a legalization bill but has faced sharp criticism for delaying reform.
More than half of Americans live in a state where cannabis is legal.
We must take action to end unjust marijuana policy, uphold states’ rights & ensure the safety & equity of legal businesses.
Now is not the time for Congress to simply check a box on #cannabis reform.
Legalization must come with equity & the repairing of harm that has been caused in Black & brown communities.
37 states – including FL – have said yes to some form of marijuana legalization & the People’s House listened.
It’s time federal marijuana laws were updated to reflect the will of states, allow critical and necessary medical research, and redress the injustices caused by decades of harsh enforcement of outdated laws.
Black, Latino, and Indigenous people have carried the brunt of marijuana criminalization while being shut out of the legal cannabis market.
In all seriousness, every 90 seconds, one person in this country is arrested for a minor marijuana crime.
Marijuana reform laws have passed in 47 states, and federal cannabis decimalization is long overdue.
The #MOREAct doesn’t just end the federal criminalization of cannabis – it also invests ~$3 billion over the next decade to provide job training, reentry services, and legal aid to people harmed by failed drug policies.
Today, I voted to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.
Since the first anti-marijuana laws & throughout the war on drugs, marijuana policy has been constructed according to racist & anti-immigrant biases.
NEW: the House just passed legislation to federally legalize marijuana.
Nadler’s MORE Act would deschedule marijuana by removing it from the list of federally banned drugs under the Controlled Substances Act .
Workers in “safety sensitive” positions, such as those regulated by the Department of Transportation, could continue to be drug tested for THC and face penalties for unauthorized use.
His office had earlier circulated a letter to other Republican offices this week offering resources on navigating cannabis policy issues but expressing opposition to the MORE Act as drafted.
Nancy Mace is sponsoring that legislation, and she said in a recent interview that she’s received assurances from Democratic leaders that her States Reform Act will receive a hearing following the MORE Act floor vote.
Maryland voters will get the chance to decide on legalizing marijuana following approval of a constitutional amendment in the legislature on Friday that puts the question of reform on the November ballot.
The former bill would simply place legalization on the ballot, though it was amended in the Senate to include language specifying for voters that legalization would not be enacted until July 2023 and clarifying that only those 21 and older could access the market.
Under the law that would be enacted if voters approve legalization at the ballot, the purchase and possession of up to 1.5 ounces of cannabis would be legal for adults.
Past convictions for conduct made legal under the proposed law would be automatically expunged, and people currently serving time for such offenses would be eligible for resentencing.
The bill was also amended throughout the legislative process.
“Marylanders have long awaited a new approach to cannabis policy and the passage of these bills is a promising step forward,” Olivia Naugle, a legislative analyst with the Marijuana Policy Project, told Marijuana Moment.
A separate bill, SB 833 from Sen.
But while some senators pushed for the more prescriptive legislation, arguing that voters should know more about what kind of market would emerge before heading to the polls in November, Feldman’s bill was largely replaced with the language of HB 837.
The Senate passed HB 837 as amended in a 30-15 vote on Thursday, sending it back to the House for concurrence.
SB 833 also passed as amended in the Senate on Friday, 29-17.
“There are folks that want to go broader.
To understand the effects of legalization on the state and its residents, the statutory bill would also establish various research initiatives, including studies into youth impacts, use patterns, impaired driving, advertising, labeling, quality control of products and barriers to entering the industry.
Possession of small amounts of cannabis would become a civil offense on January 1, 2023, punishable by a $100 fine for up to 1.5 ounces, or $250 for more than 1.5 ounces and up to 2.5 ounces.
For example, activists also wanted lawmakers to include a provision preventing police from using the odor of marijuana alone as the basis for a search.
Another potential problem that advocates have identified is the proposed allocation of equity funds.
As noted, certain senators, including Senate President Bill Ferguson , have expressed skepticism about punting the creation of regulations for the marijuana market until next year.
“If you stick a knife in my back nine inches and pull it out six inches, there’s no progress.
Meanwhile, a separate competing legalization bill on the House side, HB 1342, was introduced in February by Del.
When it comes to marijuana, legalization began to advance through Maryland’s legislature last session, but no votes were ultimately held.
Two years later, a decriminalization law took effect that replaced criminal penalties for possession of less than 10 grams with a civil fine of $100 to $500.
Also that year, the governor vetoed a bill that would have shielded people with low-level cannabis convictions from having their records publicized on a state database.
As for Maryland lawmakers, a House committee in 2019 held hearings on two bills that would have legalized marijuana.