On April 1, 2022, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to federally decriminalize cannabis. The bill would also allow some marijuana convictions to be expunged. This was the same bill that was passed by the House in 2020 but stalled by the Senate, with was controlled by Republicans at the time. This time around, the House passed the bill 220-204 (the House vote was 228-164 in 2020), with 3 Republicans and all but 2 Democrats voting in favor.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would do three main things:
- Remove marijuana from the federal list of scheduled substances;
- Create an expungement process for non-violent marijuana convictions; and
- Allow the government to offer loans to cannabis businesses and impose taxes on cannabis products.
To become enacted, the bill will need to pass in the U.S. Senate and be signed by President Joe Biden.
If you are charged with a criminal drug offense or concerned charges may be forthcoming, reach out to one of our attorneys to discuss your options.