The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act gained three additional sponsors on Tuesday.
Representatives Jamie Raskin (D-MD), Lateefah Simon (D-CA), and Jason Crow (D-CO) signed on as cosponsors, bringing the total number of sponsors to 44 just days after the bill was reintroduced.
The legislation, led by Representative Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) alongside Congressional Cannabis Caucus Co-Chairs Dina Titus (D-NV) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN), was filed August 29. The proposal would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act, eliminating federal criminal penalties for possession and allowing states to set their own laws. It would also establish a process to expunge prior marijuana convictions and require resentencing for those currently serving time.
The bill directs revenue from a federal marijuana sales tax into community reinvestment programs, including job training, re-entry services, and youth programs for communities disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. It would also open Small Business Administration funding to marijuana businesses, expand equitable licensing opportunities, and ensure that individuals with past marijuana convictions are not barred from housing or federal benefits.
The House previously passed the MORE Act in both the 116th and 117th Congresses, but both times it stalled in the Senate. Advocates argue the bill represents the most comprehensive approach to marijuana reform currently under consideration, going further than proposals that focus narrowly on banking or rescheduling.
The introduction of the MORE Act comes as President Trump considers finalizing a move that would reschedule cannabis from Schedule I to Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act.
No Republican has signed on to sponsor the MORE Act.
