U.S. Congress: Legislation to End Cannabis Prohibition Nationwide and Allow Expungements Gains Sponsors from Nearly 30 States and D.C.
- The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, supported by 62 House members from 28 states and D.C., aims to deschedule cannabis and end federal marijuana prohibition in the U.S.
- The bill would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, allowing states to set their own marijuana laws while including criminal justice reforms to address harms from past enforcement.
- Provisions include expunging certain federal marijuana convictions, creating resentencing opportunities, establishing a federal excise tax on marijuana sales, and directing revenues to community reinvestment and support programs.
- Though the MORE Act has passed the House previously under Democratic control, it has not advanced in the Senate, with all current sponsors being Democrats, reflecting growing national momentum for reform despite lack of Republican support.
Legislation in the United States Congress that would deschedule cannabis nationwide and end federal marijuana prohibition now has sponsors from 28 different states and the District of Columbia, with 62 members of the U.S. House signed on.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act would remove marijuana from the federal Controlled Substances Act entirely, ending national prohibition while leaving states free to set their own marijuana laws. The measure also includes sweeping criminal justice provisions aimed at addressing the harms of decades of marijuana enforcement.
The growing list of 62 sponsors spans 28 states and D.C., including representatives from Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Wisconsin, as well as Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton from D.C.
Supporters of the bill say it would not only end federal marijuana prohibition, but also expunge certain federal marijuana convictions and create resentencing opportunities for individuals currently incarcerated for eligible offenses. The legislation would establish a federal excise tax on marijuana sales, with revenue directed toward community reinvestment, job training, re-entry services, and other programs in communities disproportionately impacted by past enforcement.
Additional provisions would prohibit marijuana convictions from being used to deny federal housing, loans, or public benefits and would allow cannabis businesses operating legally under state law access to Small Business Administration programs.
While the MORE Act has previously passed the House when Democrats controlled the chamber, it has not advanced in the Senate. All current sponsors are Democrats, and despite the absence of Republican backers, the breadth of states represented shows national momentum behind ending federal marijuana prohibition and adopting a modernized federal approach.