The House of Representatives voted Friday to approve legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and remove penalties for certain cannabis-related offenses by a vote of 220-204, with few Republicans supporting the measure.
The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE), sponsored by Rep. Jerrold Nadler D-N.Y., would take marijuana off the list of controlled substances and would eliminate criminal penalties for individuals who grow, distribute or possess it.
But the MORE Act will need to gain 60 votes in the evenly divided Senate before moving to President Joe Biden’s desk for his signature, an outcome widely seen as unlikely given the lack of Republican support for the measure.
The bill would “end decades of failed and unjust marijuana policy,” Rep. Ed Perlmutter D-C.O., said on the House floor on Thursday ahead of the vote. “It is clear prohibition is over. Today we have an opportunity to chart a new path forward on federal cannabis policy that actually makes sense.”
Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer D-N.Y., who vowed to make marijuana legislation a priority, is working on a separate bill with Sens. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., and Cory Booker, D-N.J., that is expected to be introduced in April but would need all Democrats and at least 10 Republicans to pass the Senate.