Congressman Mike Levin (D-CA) has signed on as the newest sponsor of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, bringing the total number of congressional sponsors to 57.
Lawmakers from 26 different states are now backing the measure, underscoring its broadening geographic support across the country. However, no Republican is currently sponsoring the bill.
The MORE Act would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively ending prohibition at the national level. States would continue to decide their own laws on legalization and regulation, while the bill would also expunge past federal marijuana convictions and allow for resentencing.
Alongside descheduling, the proposal establishes a federal excise tax on marijuana sales, with revenue directed toward job training, youth initiatives, and re-entry services in communities disproportionately impacted by prohibition. It further ensures marijuana convictions cannot be used to deny access to federal benefits like housing or loans and extends Small Business Administration resources to marijuana businesses.
The House has approved the legislation twice in previous sessions, but the Senate has yet to advance it amid limited Republican support. Still, advocates say the growing number of sponsors highlights the MORE Act’s standing as the most sweeping marijuana reform bill in Congress, particularly as President Trump considers shifting marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III, a move advisors tell us is just a matter of time.
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