The US House of Representatives will vote to lift the federal ban on marijuana

Mr. Hoyer, in particular, noted that the Marijuana Criminal Reinvestment and Expungement Act, or MORE Act, will be the focus of the House after it returns from the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. Lawmakers plan to debate and vote on the legislation either Thursday or next Friday.

The plenary vote follows referendums in New Jersey and four other states where residents voted to legalize recreational cannabis. A record 68% of American adults voted to legalize cannabis in a Gallup poll this November.

“National support for federal legalization of cannabis is at an all-time high, and nearly 99% of Americans will soon live in states with some form of legalization,” said the founder and co-chair of the Cannabis Congress.

“Congress must seize this momentum and do everything possible to end the failed policies of prohibition that have led to a long and shameful period of selective criminal prosecution of communities of color.”

It was the first-ever vote in Congress to repeal the ban on cannabis. But there is little chance that it will end up as legislation, as there is no indication that the Senate will vote on the bill before recessing this month.

Currently, marijuana is defined by federal law as a Class 1 controlled substance. The reclassification would allow states to legalize it, allow banks to offer credit cards and checking accounts to legal hemp companies, and make it easier to study any medicinal benefits of cannabis.
The bill would also require federal courts to eliminate prior marijuana convictions, tax cannabis to help communities hardest hit by the drug war, fund job training and provide loans to minority-owned small cannabis businesses.

“By advancing the MORE Act, the House is sending an unmistakable signal that America is ready to close the book on marijuana prohibition and end the senseless oppression and fear that these failed policies will lead to law-abiding citizens,” said Justin Strekal, policy director of the National Marijuana Law Reform Organization. (NORML).

“Americans are ready to responsibly legalize and regulate marijuana, and this vote shows that some lawmakers are finally listening.”

The vote was supposed to take place before the presidential election, but the Democratic leaders postponed it to avoid reputational risks. During the epidemic, the vote on cannabis cannot precede the vote on the coronavirus stimulus package.

We will be watching closely as the US vote will have a significant impact on the entire cannabis market.