The US House is pushing a big decision next week
The move could see cannabis decriminalized on a federal level.

It's finally here. The moment marijuana enthusiasts and advocates have long been waiting for. The US House of Representatives will vote for the first time ever on a bill to federally legalize marijuana. According to a senior Democratic leader in the Chamber, Majority Leader in the House of Representatives Steny Hoyer (D-MD), the Chamber will pass the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act sometime between Wednesday and Friday next week. The bill is expected to be presented first to the House Rules Committee earlier this week, which prepares the legislation for plenary and decides what changes can be made so that it can be considered by the entire body. "I've been working on this issue longer than any other politician in America and I can say with confidence that the MORE Act is the most comprehensive federal cannabis reform legislation in US history," said MP Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). "Our vote to pass the bill next week will come after people in five very different states reaffirm strong bipartisan support for reforming failed cannabis prohibition. National support for the legalization of cannabis at the federal level is at an all-time high and nearly 99 percent of Americans will soon be living in states with some form of legal cannabis, "he added. "Congress must seize this momentum and do our part to end the failed policy of prohibition that has resulted in a long and shameful period of selective enforcement against colored communities," he said. The MORE Act, whose primary sponsor is Justice Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), would remove cannabis at the federal level, erase the records of people with previous marijuana convictions, and impose a five percent federal tax on sales whose Revenue would be reinvested in the communities hardest hit by the drug war. "This vote is the first ever roll-call vote in Congress on the question of ending federal marijuana criminalization," said Justin Strekal, Political Director of NORML, at the marijuana moment. "In pushing the MORE Act forward, the House of Representatives is sending a clear signal that America is ready to close the book on Ban on Marijuana and end the senseless repression and fear that these failed policies create among otherwise law-abiding citizens. "Americans stand ready to legalize and regulate marijuana responsibly, and this vote shows that some lawmakers are finally listening," he noted.





