The US House of Representatives is set to vote on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act; anticipating a historical win for cannabis. For the first time in 50 years the chamber of Congress will address the question of ending the federal criminalization of cannabis.

What is the MORE Act?

The MORE Act — the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act

• The end of the criminalization of cannabis on a federal level removing it as a Schedule I drug.

• Expungement of cannabis arrests, charges, and convictions automatically at no cost to the individual (states could continue to criminalize cannabis going forward.)

• 5% tax on the retail sales of cannabis will go to the Opportunity Trust Fund,(increasing tax to 8% over the next three years.)

• The constitution of the department of The Office of Cannabis Justice to oversee the social equity provisions in the law.

• Discrimination against people because of cannabis use, including earned benefits or immigrants at risk of deportation, is prohibited at the federal level.

• Overall more cannabis research, better banking and tax laws, and economic growth.

More on MORE — An UPDATE

So many thoughts about #MOREAct. 1st, we want to acknowledge and support the work that our parent org NORML has done on this and so many other important pieces of Federal legislation.

It's true that MORE gives more;

• Permits physicians affiliated with the Veterans Administration for the first time to make medical cannabis recommendations to qualifying veterans who reside in legal states.

• Incentivizes states to move ahead with expungement policies that will end the stigma and lost opportunities suffered by those with past, low-level cannabis convictions. 

• Allows the Small Business Administration to support entrepreneurs and businesses as they seek to gain a foothold in this emerging industry.

• Most importantly, The MORE Act removes cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act 

but falls short of true equity in a very important way. In its current iteration, the #MOREAct denies federal licensing permits to Americans who have a state or federal cannabis felony offense on their record.

This flies in the face of what Chicago NORML worked hard to achieve in IL. We support National's mission, but ours goes further. Our mission directly impacts POCs and those who have been harmed by the dual wars on cannabis and black people. And we will NOT stray from it.

For our efforts, like so many others, the Pandemic capped us in the knees.  In an ordinary year, advocates would have had closer eyes and months of scrutiny with several visits to the Hill to ensure the words were tight. So, while we applaud the work, our support and celebration of #MOREAct is measured.  We are reminded that the war is far from over. Oversight over the process is imperative. We're gonna be watching much closer from here on out to ensure that we are not only freeing the plant, but that we are doing so for those who have been MOST harmed.