The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act picked up another backer this week, with Congressmember Emilia Strong (D-OH) signing on as the bill’s 62nd sponsor.
The MORE Act would remove marijuana entirely from the federal Controlled Substances Act, ending prohibition at the national level while leaving states in control of their own marijuana laws. The bill also includes sweeping criminal justice provisions, including the expungement of certain federal marijuana convictions, resentencing opportunities for individuals currently incarcerated, and the creation of reinvestment programs intended to support communities disproportionately impacted by past enforcement.
In addition, the legislation would impose a federal excise tax on marijuana sales, with revenue directed toward job training, youth programs, re-entry services, and other community initiatives. The bill would also prevent marijuana-related convictions from being used to deny federal housing, loans, or public benefits, and would allow marijuana businesses to access Small Business Administration programs.
The MORE Act has passed the House twice in previous sessions, both times when Democrats controlled the chamber. While it continues to gain Democratic support, the bill still does not have any Republican sponsors.
A separate proposal, the STATES 2.0 Act, takes a narrower approach by focusing on protecting state marijuana laws and has attracted limited bipartisan backing, though far fewer total sponsors.
