This week, the U.S. House of Representatives plans to vote on a bill that would remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances and send funds to communities disproportionately affected by the drug war.
Titled the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, it's sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler.
An earlier version of the bill died in the Republican-controlled Senate last year. But, since the MORE Act made it through the Judiciary Committee this time around, cannabis reform activists have been urging the House to vote on it by the end of March.
The cannabis news site Marijuana Moment reported on rumors of a possible vote, which were confirmed when House leaders placed the MORE Act on a list of bills they plan to take up this week. On Monday, the Rules Committee will hold a meeting to prep the bill for a House vote. This includes deciding what amendments can be made to the bill before moving forward.
Under the bill, people with prior convictions can have their records expunged and cannabis-related jail sentences could be reconsidered. There’s also language in the bill intended to keep people from being denied citizenship because of cannabis use, and that would restrict federal agencies from denying benefits or security clearance for cannabis consumption.
But, if this bill gets stuck again, there may still be hope for federal cannabis legalization this session. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has been...
In response to false reports of an attack on the Bishop’s residence, cathedral, and pastoral center, the Diocese of Sokoto issues an official disclaimer denying the claims. Vatican News The Dioces...