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:
Facilitating the expungement of low-level, federal marijuana convictions, and incentivizing state and local governments to take similar actions;
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;
Allowing veterans, for the first time, to obtain medical cannabis recommendations from their VA doctors;
Removing the threat of deportation for immigrants accused of minor marijuana infractions or who are gainfully employed in the state-legal cannabis industry;
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!