Washington, D.C. — Congresswoman Marilyn Strickland (WA-10) voted to pass the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act after leading a bipartisan letter calling on Congressional leadership to expeditiously consider the bill. The MORE Act ends the federal prohibition on marijuana and seeks justice for those whose lives have been ruined by marijuana-related charges.
“To protect workers, promote racial justice and spur economic growth, Congress must pass the MORE Act,” Strickland said. “Recent robberies across the South Sound prove that the MORE Act isn’t just about legalizing marijuana, it is about protecting retailers and their workers. I am proud to have helped move this bipartisan legislation through the House and urge the Senate to swiftly pass this bill, sending it to President Biden’s desk for his signature.”
Cannabis’ current listing under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act has negatively impacted local and Tribal businesses, families, communities of color, and countless residents across the South Sound and the nation. The MORE Act will remove marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminate criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana. It also makes Small Business Administration loans and services available to cannabis-related businesses or service providers. De-scheduling cannabis would not only allow businesses to securely bank—it would also help grow and strengthen our economy as a whole.
In 2012, voters in Washington state legalized possession of small amounts of marijuana. As of today, medical cannabis use is legal in 36 states, the District of Columbia, and four U.S. territories. Recreational use of cannabis is legalized in 18 states, the District of Columbia, the Northern Mariana Islands, and Guam. Thirteen states and the U.S. Virgin Islands have decriminalized cannabis use.
U.S. Representative Marilyn Strickland serves on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and is the only African-American woman who serves on the House Armed Services Committee. She is a member of the New Democrat Coalition, is one of the first Korean-American women elected to Congress, and is the first African-American elected to represent the Pacific Northwest at the federal level.
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