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Lawmakers And Advocates React To Federal Marijuana Legalization Bill’s House Passage

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4 years ago

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The House on Friday passed a historic bill to federally legalize marijuana, eliciting cheers from pro-reform lawmakers and advocates, and scorn from opponents.

Perhaps no member is more elated than Rep. opEarl Blumenauer (D-OR), a longtime advocate who has pushed hard to get his colleagues on board and advance legalization. He said during a press briefing following the vote that the bill is “going to make a huge difference for people all across America as Congress starts to catch up to where the American public is.”

“There’s a whole range of things that the MORE Act fixes,” he said. “But most important is it stops this failed war on drugs that is so unfair to Americans of color, particularly black and brown. It will stop the federal interference with research. It’ll allow this emerging market to thrive, make it possible for more people to participate and be able to get on with their lives.”

Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), another Congressional Cannabis Caucus co-chair, also participated in the presser and said this “really is a moment for racial justice.”

“We know that this year has put inequality and systemic racism to the forefront of our attention, and there’s no better way to close out this year than to really begin to atone for the destructive policies brought on by the failed war on drugs,” she said.

The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which cleared the chamber in a decisive 228-164 vote, would federally deschedule marijuana and allow people with prior cannabis convictions to have their records expunged. Descheduling would be retroactive. It also contain provisions to tax cannabis and use the revenue to fund programs to aid people harmed by the war on drugs.

But its chances of becoming law this session are low, as the Republican-controlled Senate isn’t expected to take up the legislation before adjourning early next month. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) is one of numerous GOP members who’s criticized House leadership in recent days for holding the vote in the first place.

(See Marijuana Moment’s earlier roundup of dozens of Republicans who slammed the marijuana vote this week.)

To advocates, however, this is long overdue progress on an issue that has been sidelined in Congress for years. Reactions to the vote largely differ across partisan lines, but the passage of the MORE Act has clearly captured the attention of legislators and organizations far and wide.

Here’s a roundup of what they’ve been saying about the bill’s advancement:

Supportive Lawmakers

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

“Today, with the bipartisan MORE Act, the House has proudly passed one of the most important criminal justice reform bills in recent history. This momentous step helps end the devastating injustices of the criminalization of marijuana that have disproportionately impacted low income communities and communities of color, and reflects the overwhelming will of the American people — 47 states have recently reformed marijuana laws, with California at the helm of this justice effort.

“The MORE Act builds on these advancements and finally secures justice for those negatively impacted by the brutal, unfair consequences of criminalization. This landmark legislation will also open the doors of opportunity for all people to participate in the growing cannabis industry and provide revenue and resources to communities to grow.

“Guided by the tireless voices of advocates and young people, and the leadership of Democrats, the House has achieved an extraordinary victory for our fundamental values of justice, equality and opportunity for all. Our Majority will fight to enact this vital legislation as we work to lift up communities of color and advance progress for all.”

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD)

“Today, the House passed legislation important to Democrats’ work addressing systemic racism and reforming our criminal justice system. Millions of Americans’ lives have been upended as a result of convictions for possessing small amounts of marijuana, and the racial disparities in conviction rates for those offenses are as shocking as they are unjust. That’s why we passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act today, which will decriminalize cannabis possession and create a process to expunge the records of those convicted of non-violent marijuana possession in the past. As a result of those convictions, many now have difficulty finding jobs or obtaining loans, effectively excluding them from economic opportunity, which, in the context of the severe racial disparities of those convictions, represents a modern-day form of segregation.

“I want to thank Chairman Nadler of the Judiciary Committee for authoring this legislation, along with Vice President-elect Harris in the Senate, and for moving it swiftly through his committee before the end of the 116th Congress. I also want to thank Rep. Earl Blumenauer and Rep. Barbara Lee for their longtime advocacy for this type of reform. I hope the Senate will join us in passing this legislation, and I will work with Chairman Nadler, with the Congressional Black Caucus, and with the Congressional Hispanic Caucus to continue advancing measures that fix our broken criminal justice system and root out the racial injustices in policing and sentencing in our country.”

Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-FL)

“While I have serious reservations regarding some of the specifics of this bill, I will vote yes on the MORE Act because the status quo, where marijuana laws continue to ravage communities of color, is untenable and must change immediately. For decades, the ‘War on Drugs’ and racism thbat has long stained our criminal justice system has resulted in people of color being arrested, prosecuted and incarcerated for marijuana offenses at rates far exceeding white people. The destructive and inequitable policies that led to these disparities must end. However, I must make clear that my preferred legislative path would be decriminalizing marijuana and rescheduling it from Schedule I to Schedule III in order to allow us to better research the proven concerns around its safety and long-term health impacts. I cast my vote today in support of the provisions of the bill that will alleviate the injustice but remain opposed to the de-scheduling provisions and believe rescheduling and modifying regulations to allow more research is the more prudent approach. Given that the MORE Act will not become law, I will continue to pursue this more safe, prudent, and politically viable legislative path.”

Opposing Lawmakers

Sen. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN):

“We were incredibly disappointed when House Democrats this week decided they were going to talk about cannabis and cats and not deal with COVID and the cash that is needed by so many individuals who have lost their job through no fault of their own.”

Rep. David Joyce (R-OH)

“Over the last several years, I’ve been proud to lead the effort to protect the rights of states across the country, like Ohio, that have voted to implement responsible, common-sense cannabis policies. I firmly believe we need to clarify cannabis policy on the federal level and allow states to determine their own policies without fear of federal repercussion.

“However, this partisan bill deprived us of the opportunity to do just that. There are several bipartisan proposals that have the chance to actually become law and help the thousands of businesses, workers, and patients that rely on the cannabis industry. By bringing the MORE Act up for a vote instead, Congress is failing to enact sensible and meaningful cannabis reforms.

“That’s not to mention the fact that government funding runs out in seven days and we have yet to finalize a funding deal or a much-needed COVID-19 relief package. I’ve heard from hospital systems that are overwhelmed, small business owners who are struggling to keep their doors open, and workers who have lost their jobs. There are only four more days Congress is scheduled to be in session this year. Congress needs to stop playing partisan messaging games and get to work.”

Rep. Conor Lamb (D-PA)

“I support decriminalizing marijuana. It’s a big, serious issue that needs to be done the right way. This is a small, non-serious bill that wasn’t done the right way and will never be signed into law, regardless of who is President. And everyone knows that. This was an opportunity for people to say they voted to ‘legalize marijuana’ without doing any of the work to actually accomplish that.

“I hope we do take this up in a serious way in the future. For now I’m focused on the fact that an American is dying every minute, people are losing jobs and going broke, and we’re in a recession. People say ‘you can do two things at once’ — well, Congress usually can’t even do one thing at once. Which is why we still haven’t gotten a COVID relief deal. So maybe for now we should stay focused on the deadly, devastating health and economic crisis that’s raging in every single one of our districts.”

Other Politicians

 

Advocacy Organizations

Photo courtesy of Jurassic Blueberries.

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Kyle Jaeger is Marijuana Moment's Sacramento-based managing editor. His work has also appeared in High Times, VICE and attn.

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