House committee approves bill to federally legalize marijuana
The House Judiciary Committee has approved a bill Wednesday that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019, or MORE Act, passed 24-10 after more than two hours of debate. It now heads to the full House.
The bill would remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances, allow states to set their own marijuana policy and require federal courts to expunge prior convictions for marijuana offenses. A 5% tax on marijuana products would also establish a trust fund for programs designed to help people disproportionately impacted by the "war on drugs," including job training and treatment for substance abuse.
"For far too long, we have treated marijuana as a through the Department of Veterans Affairs. Doctors at the VA are allowed to discuss marijuana use with patients, but can't recommend it, even in states where it's legal.
But, there has been growing bipartisan support for access to medical marijuana for veterans. Advocates have also been asking for more research into the impact of medical marijuana.
Support for legalization has been on the rise in recent years. According to CBS News polling in April, 65% of Americans think marijuana should be legal. Most Americans view marijuana as less harmful than alcohol.
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