The U.S. House will vote this week on a bill that would legalize cannabis possession and sales, although the bill is unlikely to receive a vote in the Senate during the current session of Congress. It will nevertheless be the first time either body of Congress has voted on a law that would reverse the federal prohibition that has been in place for decades.
House bill HR 3884—the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act)—is scheduled to be voted on by the full House on either Thursday or Friday, after a Wednesday hearing in the Rules Committee where several amendments to the bill will be proposed and voted on, according to Marijuana Moment.
The MORE Act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, eliminating Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) control of the substance. It would add a five percent federal tax to all cannabis sales, with the revenue going to communities impacted by the Drug War. The law would also expunge some previous cannabis convictions, and prevent deportation of immigrants accused of minor cannabis offenses.