The MORE Act...Coming Soon!Any day now and probability is "high"
The MORE Act would make several other important changes to federal marijuana policy, including:
- 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 for local and diversely-reflective entrepreneurs 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.
What will it mean?
Key Facts:
- According to a recent report by the ACLU, Black Americans are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis-related crimes than white Americans.
- According to the FBI UCR, over 545,000 Americans were arrested for marijuana-related crimes in 2019 alone, over 90% of those arrested were charged with mere possession.
- The state-legal cannabis industry employsover 243,000 full-time workers; that is over four times the number of jobs specific to the coal industry.
- While the substance is not without harm, cannabis is objectively less harmful than legal and regulated alcohol and tobacco.
-
Polling:
Data for Progress, March 2020 – Would you [support or oppose] fully legalizing marijuana at the national level? (Democrats only)
- 80% Support (60% strongly, 20% somewhat)
- Moderates: 69% support
- Liberal/Very Liberal: 87% support
- 14% Oppose (8% strongly, 6% oppose)
- Moderates: 19% oppose
- Liberal/Very Liberal: 9% oppose
Pew Research Center, Nov. 2019 – Question: The use of marijuana should be made legal?
- Overall: 67% Yes – 32% No
- Democrats / Lean Democrats: 78% Yes – 20% No
- Republicans / Lean Republicans: 55% Yes – 44% No
Gallup Polling, Oct. 2020 – Question: Do you think the use of marijuana should be made legal, or not?
- Overall: 68% Yes – 32% No
- Democrat: 83% Yes – 16% No
- Republicans: 48% Yes – 52% No
- Independents: 72% Yes – 27% No