Alert: MORE Act Reintroduced in House

MORE Act Reintroduced in House

Issue: Today, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Nadler (D-NY) re-introduced “The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act.”

Impact: The MORE Act would remove marijuana from under The Controlled Substances Act (CSA), create a Federal tax which would support community reinvestment, and expunge certain prior marijuana convictions. This version contains several minor changes to the version which passed the House last Congress. Notably, a provision preventing individuals with prior marijuana convictions from obtaining Federal permits to operate marijuana businesses was dropped. Further, the latest version is expanded to help all those harmed by the “war on drugs” pursue new business opportunities and not only in the cannabis industry.

Next Steps: While the previous version of the MORE Act stalled in the Senate, Senate Majority Leader Chuck  Schumer (D-NY), as well as Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ), and Ron Wyden (D-OR) are preparing to introduce a comprehensive cannabis reform bill which is expected to address de-criminalization and criminal justice reform. Elements of the MORE Act will likely be included in that legislation. Democrats are also working with Sen. Scott (R-SC) to find bipartisan solutions to criminal justice reform in an effort to secure Republican votes.

Over the last several weeks, Reps. Don Young (R-AK) and Dave Joyce (R-OH) also introduced “The Common Sense Cannabis Reform for Veterans, Small Businesses, and Medical Professionals Act,” which legalizes marijuana at the Federal level and allows the industry greater access to traditional banking services.