MORE Act 2.0 Introduced in US Congress to Legalize Cannabis Nationwide

by Lauren Mendelsohn

May 28, 2021

Today, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY) introduced the “Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021” (the “MORE Act of 2021”) in the United States Congress. The MORE Act of 2021 is a landmark bill, as it would legalize cannabis nationwide. 

The MORE Act of 2021 would provide for the imposition of federal taxes on cannabis businesses, in a rather complex fashion which we will analyze in a future post. Furthermore, it would establish sources of funding to benefit communities most harmed by the War on Drugs, and would create pathways to expungement and resentencing for individuals with past or pending cannabis-related offenses on their record.

If the MORE Act of 2021 becomes law, cannabis would not be listed under any of the Schedules in the Controlled Substances Act, a major change from its current classification under Schedule I.   Cannabis businesses would also be able to access loans and federal disaster relief, contrary to current practice. Access to financial assistance has become especially important in past years in light of devastating wildfires and the COVID-19 pandemic.

An earlier version of the MORE Act was introduced last year, which we previously wrote about here. Unlike that version, the 2021 bill introduced today does not include controversial provisions that would have excluded individuals with cannabis convictions from being able to obtain federal cannabis licenses. 

Stay tuned for our next blog post on this topic, where we’ll break down the key sections of the MORE Act of 2021 in even more detail (pun intended!).

 

This information is provided as a public educational service and is not intended as legal advice. For specific questions regarding federal or California cannabis or hemp laws, contact the Law Offices of Omar Figueroa at 707-829-0215 or info@omarfigueroa.ccom to schedule a confidential legal consultation.