The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill 24-10 Wednesday that would decriminalize marijuana at a federal level.
Proud to announce that @HouseJudiciary just passed my MORE Act, which ends the federal prohibition of marijuana and enacts restorative justice for communities of color that continue to be devastated by our nation's failed War on Drugs. #WeWantMORE pic.twitter.com/9FEn9DF9pq
— (((Rep. Nadler))) (@RepJerryNadler) November 20, 2019
Why it matters This is the first time a congressional committee has passed a bill to nationally legalize the drug, as ABC notes.
- The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019, or MORE Act,would would require federal courts to expunge previous convictions for marijuana offenses,
What's next: The bill, which proposes to remove marijuana from a list of federally controlled substances, will now go to the full House.
Yes, but: While it has a good chance of passing in the Democratic-controlled House, it may well be thwarted in the Senate, where Republicans hold the majority, as Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) is against legalizing the drug, per CNBC.
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