The House Judiciary Committee approved a landmark bill on Wednesday that legalizes marijuana on the federal level, finally removing it from Schedule 1 of the Controlled Substances Act.
According to NBC News, the (MORE) Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019 passed 24 to 10, and had a high probability of approval in the full House where Democrats control the chamber with 234 seats but it’s likely to face a much tougher battle in the Republican-controlled Senate, where Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has already said he opposes marijuana legalization.
The legislation will now allow states to enact their own policies and gives them incentives to clear the criminal records of people with low-level marijuana offenses. It also includes a 5% tax on cannabis products that would provide job training and legal assistance to those hit hardest by the war on drugs.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union, marijuana arrests account for more than half of all drug arrests in the United States. U.S. lawmakers on Wednesday repeatedly cited the disproportionate impact and effects that drug laws have had on communities of color, saying that decriminalizing marijuana helps alleviate some of that imbalance.
“The criminalization of marijuana has been a mistake,” Chairman Rep. Jerrold Nadler, D-N.Y., said during the markup of the bill. “The racial disparity in marijuana enforcement laws only compounded this mistake with serious consequences, particularly for minority communities.”
Some Republican members expressed concerns that the bill went too far and that it was unlikely to be taken up in the Senate.
Only 11 states in the U.S. and the District of Columbia have legalized cannabis for recreational use. Medical marijuana, which must be prescribed by a physician, is legal in 33 states and Washington, D.C.
Removing marijuana from the list of Schedule I controlled substances — the same category as heroin and ecstasy — could also help provide veterans with access through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Currently, doctors at the VA are allowed to discuss marijuana use with patients, but cannot recommend it or prescribe it, even in states where it’s legal.
The committee’s landmark approval comes two months after the House passed legislation that would protect banks and financial institutions that serve marijuana businesses in states where the substance is legal.
