Federal Government Moves to Legalize Cannabis with The MORE Act
Cannabis, known for its notoriety despite modern-day science, is once again coming into the political spotlight. The prohibition of cannabis may finally be coming to a close on the federal level. Also known as the MORE Act, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act takes a stance on social justice and cannabis reform.
The MORE Act was sponsored and introduced by Senator and vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris (D-CA) on July 23, 2019. The MORE Act is now in a stalemate as the significance/importance of the bill is being debated, and it now seems as though the bill will not see movement until the end of 2020 post-presidential election. Now, what exactly is all the hype about this potential bill being passed? Well, the MORE Act would decriminalize cannabis on the federal level, a current back-and-forth obstacle that states have faced since they were given the authority to legalize on a state level. Despite federal implications of a state's choice, federal interference is still occurring today with cannabis businesses within legal states. It would also remove cannabis from the list of controlled substances under the Controlled Substances Act, along with changing all statutory terminology from "marijuana" to "cannabis", the plant's rightful name. The bill calls for an expungement of all cannabis-related offenses in the criminal justice system, along with a procedure to review all cases to make sure this happens. It will also not be allowed to prohibit federal or non-federal benefits and protections because of cannabis if the bill does go through. The impact of the war on drugs caused a lot of damage to the so-called "criminals" who were slapped with cannabis drug charges, so the MORE Act also calls for a trust fund to be made for reparations of the affected. The services will be funded by a 5% federal cannabis tax included in the bill as well. Cannabis-related businesses would also be looked at as legitimate and be able to access loans and services from the Small Business Administration. Under the MORE Act, the Bureau of Labor would have to publish data on the demographics of cannabis businesses and their employees. Essentially, the purpose of the MORE Act is to give the normalization of cannabis use the final push it needs today in the United States. The main issue at hand for the MORE Act is the Senate. The Senate right now is all Republican, so a Senate vote for yes is far less likely than the House's chances of passing the act. The MORE Act is a gateway of opportunity for not only those looking to emerge in the future market but also for those who were once wronged by the government, an opportunity that if passed would be monumental for cannabis funding. The U.S. government has long stigmatized and tainted the reputation and usage in society, and now politicians are in a position once again for cannabis reform. The only question is will they truly rise to the occasion? We will see when the bill comes into action.