A coalition of marijuana and civil rights reform groups sent a letter to House leadership on Tuesday, urging them to schedule a floor vote on a bill to federally legalize marijuana and promote social equity this month. The Marijuana Justice Coalition (MJC)—comprised of more than 20 advocacy organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union, National Urban League, Human Rights Watch, and more—says reform is long overdue and that further delaying the vote will mean continued incarceration of people over cannabis. They’re specifically calling for a floor vote on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, which is sponsored by Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY). The bill passed the full House in a historic vote the last session, and it cleared the sponsor’s panel again in September but has not advanced since then. “Given that nearly every minute one person in this country is arrested for a minor marijuana crime, the public deserves to know if members of the 117th Congress stand on the side of justice and against the outdated and cruel policy of prohibition and criminalization of marijuana,” the letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) states.
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 03/01/2022 10:52:00