Skip to main content

House set to vote on marijuana legalization - POLITICO

House set to vote on marijuana legalization - POLITICO

The U.S. Capitol building. | Zach Gibson/Getty Images

By NATALIE FERTIG

Updated:


The House will vote on legalizing marijuana next month.

States would still have to vote to legalize the drug. Marijuana is already legal in 11 states.



The MORE Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and erase some cannabis criminal records. The vote will come during the September work period, according to an email Majority Whip Jim Clyburn’s (D-S.C.) office that was sent to members Friday.


also asked members to indicate if they would support the MORE Act by Sept. 3.

Why is this important? Neither chamber of Congress has ever voted on removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act.

“A floor vote on the bill would be the greatest federal cannabis reform accomplishment in over 50 years,” said Randal Meyer of the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce.

What’s the background? Cannabis is a Schedule I drug under the Controlled Substances Act, which was signed into law in 1970. Drugs that are classified as Schedule I are defined as having a high potential for abuse and no medical benefit. Removing marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act would mean it is no longer illegal at the federal level, but it would not immediately legalize its sale in every state. State and federal agencies would still need to create rules and regulations for the production, marketing and sale of cannabis products, and some states may not allow sales even if the federal ban was removed.

This bill, H.R. 3884 (116), was introduced by House Judiciary Chair Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.) last fall and passed the House Judiciary Committee by a vote of 24-10 in November. Reps Matt Gaetz (Fla.) and Tom McClintock (Calif.) were the only Republicans on the committee to vote for the bill.

“Of course I intend to vote yes on the bill," McClintock said on Friday. "With respect to timing, I do find it ironic that the only small businesses the Democrats seem to be worried about is cannabis shops, but I would support this bill whenever it is brought to a vote."

Negotiations between House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and the White House on a new coronavirus relief bill have gone nowhere in recent weeks.

The MORE Act is not the only bill that would remove cannabis from the CSA, but because it expunges records and creates funding for grants to benefit people who have been negatively impacted by criminal enforcement, this bill has garnered the most support from Democrat leadership and legalization advocates.

"As people across the country protest racial injustices, there’s even greater urgency for Congress to seize this historic opportunity and finally align our cannabis laws with what the majority of Americans support, while ensuring restorative justice,” said Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-Ore.), a longtime champion of marijuana legalization.

Does this mean cannabis will be legal? No, the odds of this bill passing in the Senate are still very slim, given the opposition of Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. During this week’s Republicans National Convention, speakers criticized Democrats for purportedly prioritizing marijuana sales during the pandemic over more important services like health care and religious gatherings.

Last November, Nadler dismissed concerns about the Senate's potential inaction. “I don’t think it’s a good idea to say the Senate won’t take this bill so we shouldn’t pass this bill,” Nadler said. “To do [so] is to say the Senate rules the roost and the House doesn’t matter.”

The bill's lead sponsor in the Senate is Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Calif.,) the Democratic nominee for vice president.

Let's block ads! (Why?)



https://www.politico.com/news/2020/08/28...ote-404455

from potads - All Forums learn more

Popular posts from this blog

Martha Stewart launches CBD line in crowded market - CNN

Martha Stewart launches CBD line in crowded market - CNN The hemp-derived, cannabidiol-rich gummies, soft gels and oil drops officially launched on Thursday after more than a year in development. The products are the result of the style maven's partnership with Canopy Growth ( CGC ) , the Canadian cannabis company with a multibillion-dollar backer in US alcohol giant Constellation Brands ( STZ ) . Stewart joined Canopy as an adviser in early 2019 for the express purpose of developing cannabis products for humans and their pets after being introduced to Canopy's founder by her friend Calvin Broadus Jr. -- the rapper and businessman better known as Snoop Dogg. His Leafs by Snoop cannabis brand is produced by Canopy. The initial Martha Stewart CBD products, which range from $34.99 to $44.99, will be sold online at Canopy's e-commerce site . The pet products are expected to debut later this year. "I was surprised to learn that while most people have heard of ...
Read more

The Half-Legal Cannabis Trap - POLITICO

The Half-Legal Cannabis Trap - POLITICO LOS ANGELES — Everything about Kelvin’s job in a neighborhood southwest of downtown seemed like any other assignment, if not a little more exciting. The 40-year-old, who had previously worked as an electrician, had been employed since 2015 by a private security company that contracted him out to guard marijuana dispensaries. In 2019, he was protecting one of the thousand or so cannabis stores in California’s biggest city—part of an industry that has grown less and less underground since 1996, when the state first legalized medical marijuana. Kelvin, who asked not to be identified beyond his middle name to avoid professional retaliation, doesn’t smoke pot, but says the gig felt like the future. He grew up in a time when other Black people he knew in Los Angeles would go to jail for possessing even small amounts of the drug. Now, customers could walk into shops like the one he was guarding, many of which can be identified by green crosses on...
Read more

Cannabis news worldwide -- Some Indian farmers are turning moon-gazers

Some Indian farmers are turning moon-gazers A growing number of cultivators opt for biodynamic techniques to give farming a zodiac twist Sarvdaman Patel , 69, stands between rows of legumes and parsley at high noon, but it is not the harsh sun that bothers him. He is obsessed with the moon. "It is currently in the Air sign which is ideal for flowering plants," he remarks, peering at the marigolds. Patel is no Bejan Daruwala. He is an Indian farmer who has been using biodynamic (BD) techniques for the last 16 years on his farm in Gujarat's Anand. The BD cultivation calendar is based on the moon's movement through each zodiac every two-and-a-half days covering all 12 signs every month. An unofficial estimate by the Biodynamic Association of India (BDAI) says about one lakh farmers in Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Punjab and Uttarakhand practise biodynamic farming. However, most of the produce is sold under the generic 'organic' label as few consumers unde...
Read more