In the United States Congress, legislation to deschedule marijuana and allow for the expungement of past marijuana offenses has 113 bicameral sponsors.
In the House of Representatives, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would also deschedule marijuana, effectively decriminalizing it nationwide. The measure, filed in April, would also expunge past marijuana convictions, and it would establish a federal excise tax on marijuana sales. The MORE Act twice passed the House, in 2020 and 2022, when the Democrats controlled the chamber. Proponenents of the measure are hopeful that if Democrats take back the House this November, they will make the MORE Act a priority. Currently the measure has 95 sponsors, all Democrat.
In the Senate, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) would also deschedule marijuana, allow the expungement of past marijuana convictions, and establish a federal marijuana excise tax. However, it would go a step further by creating regulatory and safety standards for legal marijuana sales, including creating a marijuana department within the FDA. Filed in May, the measure has 18 sponsors in the US Senate, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Currently there is not enough support in the Senate to pass the CAOA, but the Democrats were to gain even one or two seats in the November election, or if a couple Republicans decide to get onboard, it could significantly alter the political dynamic.
Vice President Kamala Harris, who is currently leading in the polls against President Donald Trump, not only supports the MORE Act, she cosponsored it while she was a member of the Senate.
Below is every member of the House that’s currently sponsoring the MORE Act:
Arizona:
- Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ)
California:
- Tony Cárdenas (D-CA)
- Salud Carbajal (D-CA)
- Robert Julio Garcia (D-CA)
- Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL)
- Jared Huffman (D-CA)
- Barbara Lee (D-CA)
- Ted Lieu (D-CA)
- Jimmy Gomez (D-CA)
- Adam Smith (D-WA)
- Marilyn Strickland (D-WA)
- Eric Swalwell (D-CA)
- Jimmy Panetta (D-CA)
- Katie Porter (D-CA)
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
- Brad Sherman (D-CA)
- Maxine Waters (D-CA)
- Gregory Meeks (D-NY)
- Valerie Foushee (D-NC)
- Luis Correa (D-CA46)
Colorado:
- Jason Crow (D-CO)
- Diana DeGette (D-CO)
- Joe Neguse (D-CO2)
Delaware:
- Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE)
Florida:
- Kathy Castor (D-FL)
- Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL)
- Frederica Wilson (D-FL)
- Maxwell Frost (D-FL10)
Georgia:
- Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (D-GA)
- David Scott (D-GA13)
- Nikema Williams (D-GA)
- Al Green (D-TX9)
Illinois:
- Jesús “Chuy” García (D-IL)
- Nikki Budzinski (D-IL13)
- Bill Foster (D-IL11)
- Delia Ramirez (D-IL3)
Indiana:
- Frank Mrvan (D-IN)
Kentucky:
- Morgan McGarvey (D-KY)
Louisiana:
- Troy Carter (D-LA2)
Maine:
- Chellie Pingree (D-ME)
Maryland:
- Kweisi Mfume (D-MD)
- Jamie Raskin (D-MD)
Massachusetts:
- Seth Moulton (D-MA)
- James “Jim” McGovern (D-MA)
- Ayanna Pressley (D-MA7)
Michigan:
- Shri Thanedar (D-MI13)
- Daniel Kildee (D-MI)
- Rashida Tlaib (D-MI)
Minnesota:
- Betty McCollum (D-MN)
- Ilhan Omar (D-MN)
- Dean Phillips (D-MN)
Missouri:
- Cori Bush (D-MO)
- Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO)
Nevada:
- Steven Horsford (D-NV)
- Dina Titus (D-NV)
New Jersey:
- Andy Kim (D-NJ)
- Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ)
New Mexico:
- Melanie Stansbury (D-NM1)
New York:
- Jerrold Nadler (D-NY12)
- Jamaal Bowman (D-NY)
- Daniel Goldman (D-NY)
- Nydia Velázquez (D-NY7)
- Gregory Meeks (D-NY5)
- Ritchie Torres (D-NY)
- Grace Meng (D-NY)
- Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY)
- Donald Beyer (D-VA8)
North Carolina:
- Alma Adams (D-NC)
- Valerie Foushee (D-NC4)
Ohio:
- Shontel Brown (D-OH)
- Greg Landsman (D-OH)
Oregon:
- Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR)
- Valerie Hoyle (D-OR4)
- Earl Blumenauer (D-OR3)
Pennsylvania:
- Chris Deluzio (D-PA)
- Dwight Evans (D-PA)
- Brendan Boyle (D-PA)
- Summer Lee (D-PA)
Tennessee:
- Steve Cohen (D-TN)
Texas:
- Gregorio Casar (D-TX)
- Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
- Sylvia Garcia (D-TX)
- Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX)
- Joaquin Castro (D-TX)
- Jasmine Crockett (D-TX)
- Al Green (D-TX9)
Vermont:
- Becca Balint (D-VT)
Virginia:
- Jennifer McClellan (D-VA)
- Donald Beyer (D-VA8)
- Gerald Connolly (D-VA)
Washington:
- Suzan DelBene (D-WA)
- Pramila Jayapal (D-WA)
- Adam Smith (D-WA)
- Marilyn Strickland (D-WA)
Wisconsin:
- Mark Pocan (D-WI)
Below is every member of the Senate currently sponsoring the CAOA:
California:
- Laphonza R. Butler (D-CA)
- Alex Padilla (D-CA)
Colorado:
- Michael F. Bennet (D-CO)
- John W. Hickenlooper (D-CO)
Georgia:
- Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA)
Massachusetts:
- Edward J. Markey (D-MA)
- Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)
Michigan:
- Gary C. Peters (D-MI)
Minnesota:
- Tina Smith (D-MN)
New Jersey:
- Cory Booker
New Mexico:
- Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM)
New York:
- Kirsten E. Gillibrand (D-NY)
- Charles E. Schumer (D-NY)
Oregon:
- Jeff Merkley (D-OR)
- Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Pennsylvania:
- John Fetterman (D-PA)
Vermont:
- Peter Welch (D-VT)
Washington:
- Patty Murray (D-WA)
