MORE Act

This  Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2020 bill removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and removes criminal penalties for people who possess, distribute, or manufacture marijuana. Throwing people in jail for smoking from bongs never made sense, and now the government is finally starting to do something about it.  Cannabis prohibition costs taxpayers $3.6 billion a year, so this bill essentially turns this cost into a form of income by taxing the sale of cannabis. A 5% tax will be added and will be used to fund criminal and social reform programs for those incarcerated on marijuana charges. This tax will increase to 8% over the next 3years. Some other main points are as follows:

 

●       Establishes process to expunge convictions related to cannabis offenses

●       Cannabis related convictions can no longer be bounds for public benefits denial

●       Cannabis related convictions can no longer be bounds for denial of protection under immigration laws

Essentially what the MORE Act intends to do is to release citizens incarcerated for marijuana related offenses and expunge their criminal records. Logically speaking, as marijuana is being legalized around the country you would assume that people who have offenses related to a now-legal substance (such as owning or transporting bongs) should no longer be affected by it. By removing cannabis from the list of controlled substances, it is now treated similarly to tobacco and alcohol. States would be allowed to decide how they would like to regulate the substance. In most states, adults above the age of 21 will be able to purchase cannabis products.

As it is no longer on the list of controlled substances, it would no longer be a second-degree felony to possess in large quantities, or a first-degree felony to be in possession with an attempt to sell. This means that prescriptions would not be subject to federal limitations as before. It will be able to be sold and purchased without professional supervision and can be possessed legally. This all depends on how the specific state decides to go about their restrictions pertaining to cannabis, but this bill is likely the catalyst to nationwide marijuana legalization. Currently in states where cannabis is legalized it can be taxed in 3 ways: percentage of price, weight, or potency. The MORE act will make a uniform tax on purchases.

If this bill goes through without dying in congress, the road to complete marijuana legalization is almost over. Depending on the routes that different states take regarding their regulations, many of the restrictions involving cannabis will be removed. Drug screenings, arrests, and medical cards for purchase will be a thing of the past.