U.S. House votes to decriminalize marijuana
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level.
It was the first time either chamber of Congress has voted to end the federal ban on marijuana since the drug was listed as a “controlled substance” in 1970.
Fifteen U.S. states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational use of marijuana, and over 30 states allow some form of the drug for medicinal purposes.
But the federal ban on the drug persists, which creates conflicts with state laws and limits cannabis companies’ access to banking services and funding.
The cannabis bill would expunge federal marijuana convictions and impose a 5% tax on cannabis products.
The revenue raised would help reinvest in communities most adversely impacted by enforcement of the law, said Representative Earl Blumenauer, a Democrat from Oregon and co-chairman of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.
"We're here because we have failed three generations of black and brown young people whose lives can be ruined or lost by selective enforcement of these laws. This legislation will end that disaster."
Representative Adam Schiff, a Democrat from California and chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, voted in favor of the bill, saying on Twitter Friday, “Decriminalization makes our justice system more fair.”
The Democratic-majority House voted 228-164, largely along party lines, to lift the federal prohibition.
But Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, is an opponent of the change, meaning a decriminalization proposal is unlikely to see Senate action.
That’s unless Democrats manage to win both Georgia Senate seats, and with them Senate control, in a January 5 runoff election.
