Federal: Support The Historic MORE Act

In the previous Congressional session, members of the House of Representatives made history by passing the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act to repeal the federal prohibition and criminalization of marijuana.

The bill would make other important changes too, such as

• Facilitating the expungement of low-level, federal marijuana convictions, and incentivizing state and local governments to take similar actions;

• Creating pathways for ownership opportunities in the emerging regulated industry as well as other sectors of the economy for local and diversely-reflective entrepreneurs who have been impacted under prohibition through the Small Business Administration grant eligibility;

• Allowing veterans, for the first time, to obtain medical cannabis recommendations from their VA doctors in states that have an established medical cannabis program;

• Removing the threat of deportation for immigrants accused of minor marijuana infractions or who are gainfully employed in the state-legal cannabis industry;

• Providing critical reinvestment grant opportunities for communities that have suffered disproportionate rates of marijuana-related enforcement actions;

• Protecting and respecting the basic rights and civil liberties of consumers under federal law when it comes to public benefits.

The bill has now been reintroduced and is awaiting action. Please contact your Representative and tell them to support its swift passage.

Contact your Representative NOW!

Tell Congress: Don’t Use Taxpayer Dollars To Shut Down Legalization

Since 1970, marijuana has been federally criminalized and prohibited as a Schedule 1 substance under the Controlled Substances Act.

Starting with California in 1996, states have chosen to defy federal law by implementing programs to regulate and distribute cannabis for medical or adult-us purposes. Seventeen states and Washington, DC have legalized the adult use of marijuana and a total of 36 states -- as well as the District of Columbia -- regulate access to medical cannabis.

Congress first took a step in 2014 to remedy this federal-state conflict by approving an appropriations amendment restricting the Department of Justice from using taxpayers’ resources to interfere with state-authorized medical cannabis programs. Since its initial approval, this rider has been included in each subsequent annual spending package.

While Congress continues to prepare to enact further legislative changes to federal marijuana laws, as demonstrated by the House passage of the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act in the 116th session, it is absolutely critical that the next appropriations package support common-sense actions such as an expansion of the existing rider to provide certainty to providers operating in these state-legal marijuana marketplaces and to the millions of Americans who rely upon them for safe and legal access.

Send a message to your federal lawmakers now:  

Contact your Representative NOW!