The MORE Act in the US House of Representatives now has 96 sponsors.
Yesterday, Congressmember Jahana Hayes (D-CT) became the newest cosponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, bringing the total number of sponsors to 96. Hayes is the first new sponsor on the bill since August. The only marijuana-related bill in the US Congress with more sponsors is the SAFE Banking Act.
The MORE Act, which is supported by Vice President Kamala Harris, would completely remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively decriminalizing it nationwide. The bill also establishes a federal excise tax on state-legal marijuana sales, starting at 5% and eventually increasing to a maximum of 8%. Additionally, it includes provisions to expunge past marijuana convictions and protect marijuana consumers from being denied public benefits.
In the Senate, the similar Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) has 18 sponsors. The CAOA, filed in April, directs the U.S. Attorney General to establish regulations to deschedule marijuana within 180 days of its passage. It also proposes a federal excise tax starting at 5% on marijuana producers, rising to 12.5% by the fifth year. The measure would go further than the MORE Act by establishing federal safety and regulatory standards for licensed marijuana sales, including establishing the Center for Cannabis Products within the FDA to oversee the cannabis industry’s production, labeling, distribution, and sales.
