United States: Congress to vote on federal cannabis legalization this week

The plan to legalize cannabis at federal level in the United States will be put to the vote in the House of Representatives this week.

House Majority Leader, Democrat Steny Hoyer, said the House would vote on the MORE Act between Wednesday and Friday. The vote had already been announced before the end of the year and delayed by coronavirus.

The bill will first be submitted to the House Rules Committee, which prepares the text for a vote before the House and decides which amendments can be made before being considered by the full House.

«I've been working on this issue longer than any politician in America, and I can say with confidence that the MORE Act is the most comprehensive federal cannabis reform legislation in U.S. history,» said declared Representative Earl Blumenauer. «Our vote to pass it next week will come after people from five very different states reaffirmed the strong bipartisan support to reform cannabis prohibition failure. National support for federal cannabis legalization is at an all-time high, and nearly 99% of Americans will soon live in states with some form of legal cannabis.»

«Congress must capitalize on this momentum and do our part to end the failed prohibition policy that has resulted in a long and shameful period of selective enforcement against communities of color,» he said.

As currently drafted, the MORE Act would remove cannabis from federal controlled substances, expunge the records of those previously convicted of cannabis and impose a 5% federal tax on sales, the proceeds of which would be reinvested in the communities hardest hit by the war on drugs.

The bill would also create a pathway out for those incarcerated for cannabis-related offenses, protect immigrants from being denied citizenship for cannabis, and prevent federal agencies from denying public benefits or security clearances because of its use.

All these arrangements are subject to change over the coming week.

If the text is adopted by the Democrat-controlled House, the Senate will still have to follow suit. Republican Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a fervent advocate of hemp, is a strong supporter of the bill. more closed on cannabis.

A House vote in favour of legalization would, however, send a strong signal. to the new Biden administration.