U.S. Congress: Legislation to End Cannabis Prohibition Nationwide and Allow Expungements Gains 60th Sponsor

The newest cosponsors are Representative Emily Randall (D-WA) and Representative Adelita S. Grijalva (D-AZ). Their endorsements add to the wave of Democratic support the bill has collected since its introduction earlier this year. Despite the steady momentum, the measure still lacks any Republican sponsors. If enacted, the MORE Act would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act, effectively ending prohibition at the national level. States would continue to set their own laws, but marijuana would no longer be treated as a controlled substance federally. The legislation also features broad restorative justice provisions, including expunging past federal marijuana convictions, allowing for resentencing, and establishing reinvestment programs for communities disproportionately harmed by enforcement.

Revenue from a new federal excise tax on marijuana sales would fund initiatives such as job training, youth programs, and re-entry support. The bill would also prevent marijuana-related convictions from being used to deny federal housing, loans, or other benefits, and it would finally open Small Business Administration programs to marijuana businesses.

Although the MORE Act has cleared the House twice before, those votes came when Democrats held control of the chamber. Another proposal introduced this year, the STATES 2.0 Act, would also protect state marijuana laws but takes a narrower approach. It has just eight sponsors, though it stands out for having bipartisan support—something the MORE Act has yet to secure.