Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, voted Friday to pass the Marijuna Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act.
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Salud Carbajal, D-Santa Barbara, voted Friday to pass the Marijuna Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act.
The vote marked the first time a chamber of Congress has voted to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.
“For too long, our federal marijuana policy has lagged behind popular public opinion and the policies embraced by forward-thinking states like California. The MORE Act is a long overdue measure which decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level and expunges non-violent federal drug convictions.” Rep. Carbajal said in a statement. “(Friday), we voted to finally reverse decades of discriminatory marijuana policy, invest in the communities most affected by the failed war on drugs, and allow for a well-regulated industry to grow our economy.”
The MORE Act includes three significant changes to federal law regarding marijuana. These include: removing cannabis from the list of federally controlled substances; authorizing the provision of resources, funded by an excise tax on marijuana, to address the needs of the community that have been seriously impacted by the war on drugs; increasing the participation of communities of color in the growing cannabis market; and expunging low-level federal marijuana convictions and arrests.
— Mitchell White
