End Substance Use Disorder Applauds U.S. House for Voting to Decriminalize Cannabis

Today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. End Substance Use Disorder released the following statement:

“Legalizing cannabis, along with appropriate regulations on advertising, will help keep our communities safe and build equal opportunity for all,” said Erin Schanning, president of End Substance Use Disorder. “We applaud the U.S. House of Representatives for voting to remove outdated laws that have restricted access to medical treatments and unjustly harmed communities of color and low-income Americans. We urge the Senate to pass this common-sense legislation now.”

47 states have reformed cannabis laws to allow for medicinal or recreational use, but federal law still prohibits its use.

The MORE Act would remove cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances, impose a new tax on cannabis products, and allow some convictions and sentences for cannabis-related charges to be expunged or reduced. The bill also sets standards for business selling cannabis.

The Senate must still consider the MORE Act for it to become law. When it considers the bill, End Substance Use Disorder encourages the Senate to include in the legislation limits on advertising cannabis to help ensure youth use of the substance remains low.