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Cannabis Reform on the Move in Congress with MORE Act

  • Jun 3, 2021
  • 2 min read

MAY 28, 2021

It stands to reason that the advancement of cannabis reform bodes well for hemp!  After Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY) introduced the MORE (Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment & Expungement) Act in 2020, numerous states have gone on to legalize cannabis, including his own. Recognizing the economic and social benefits of a new legislative framework that would take cannabis out of the federal Controlled Substances Act, Rep. Nadler and the Cannabis Caucus re-introduced the MORE Act on May 28.

Organizations like Human Rights Watch were quick to support the move, along with big employers like Amazon, which has a history of disqualifying potential employees who test positive for marijuana use.  Further reforms contained in the MORE Act include:

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

  2. 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;

  3. Allowing veterans, for the first time, to obtain medical cannabis recommendations from their VA doctors;

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

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

A world in which the hysteria over THC has subsided can only forge a more positive pathway for the hemp industry.  This is the type of legislative change that can help set the stage for a better process for hemp as it transitions from contraband to agricultural commodity.  Getting past the reefer madness means that more realistic, scientifically-backed discourse can take place on the advancement of our crop, especially with the highly problematic legal definition of 0.3% THC.  The campaign to move past this industry-stifling and unachievable standard has the potential to shift gears in a big way once the MORE Act is signed into law.

It’s heartening to see that cannabis is on the move in Congress!

 
 
 

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