Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act

Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act or the MORE Act

This bill decriminalizes marijuana.

Specifically, it removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.

The bill also makes other changes, including the following:

• replaces statutory references to marijuana and marihuana with cannabis,
• requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees,
• establishes a trust fund to support various programs and services for individuals and businesses in communities impacted by the war on drugs,
• imposes an excise tax on cannabis products produced in or imported into the United States and an occupational tax on cannabis production facilities and export warehouses,
• makes Small Business Administration loans and services available to entities that are cannabis-related legitimate businesses or service providers,
• prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of certain cannabis-related conduct or convictions,
• prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of a cannabis-related event (e.g., conduct or a conviction),
• establishes a process to expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses,
• directs the Government Accountability Office to study the societal impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis,
• directs the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration to study methods for determining whether a driver is impaired by marijuana,
• directs the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on the workplace, and
• directs the Department of Education to study the impact of state legalization of recreational cannabis on schools and school-aged children.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, also known as Bill 117 HR 3617, is a piece of legislation introduced in the US Congress. The main goal of this bill is to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and address the racial disparities in marijuana enforcement.

Under this bill, marijuana would be removed from the list of controlled substances, allowing states to regulate it as they see fit. The bill also includes provisions to expunge prior marijuana convictions and provide for resentencing of individuals currently serving time for marijuana-related offenses.

Additionally, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act aims to create opportunities for individuals and communities that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs. This includes establishing a fund to support job training, reentry services, and other programs to help those affected by marijuana criminalization. Overall, the bill seeks to address the social and economic injustices caused by marijuana prohibition and create a more equitable and just system for all individuals involved.