Holy guacamole people! We are witnessing history being made right in front of our very eyes! House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-S.C.) announced on Friday that lawmakers will be voting on a bill that would decriminalize marijuana federally and allow single state regulation to move forward. This is a historic vote as this would be the first time that either chamber of Congress has ever voted on marijuana decriminalization. The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act. The MORE Act would also expunge any prior marijuana-related convictions and impose a five percent sales tax. Then revenue from the sales tax would then be reinvested to communities through the creation of an Opportunity Trust Fund. The communities that would receive these funds are ones that have been harmed by the “War on Drugs”.
This is HUGE news! Before hopping into it let’s just quickly acknowledge how 2020 has been an absolute shitshow of epic proportions. There’s been so much crap going on this year that it’s been mentally taxing to keep up with all the craziness. No point in listing out all the horrible things that happen and keep happening this year. That list would be way too long. So let’s pivot back to the good news nugget that was dropped on us in the form of this bill. This is a huge step towards the end goal, which is legalization. We’re getting closer to it than ever before with the introduction of this bill.
The MORE Act was first introduced by Rep. Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) in last year’s committee and it passed by a 24-10 vote. So clearly we got some politicians that are behind this bill. The bill’s lead sponsor is the Democratic vice-presidential candidate Kamala Harris. Now even though Joe Biden has said he doesn’t intend to legalize cannabis if elected, I’m willing to bet he would change his mind on it, especially if his VP is a lead sponsor for this bill. Like, come on really?
My hope with this bill is that we can start seeing some marijuana products from other parts of the country in our local dispensary. You know how you get Idaho potatoes at your supermarket even though you don’t live in Idaho? Well, I’m hoping we see that within the dispensaries. You walk in and you can see the products from all over the US. OG Kush that was grown in Colorado or cannabis-infused hot sauce that was made in California. I’m just spitballing a few ideas, but the potential is limitless. Now, I know I’m jumping the gun a little. Not all states are gonna be onboard, but hey a man can dream, can’t he? So let’s hope this bill passes so that then we can start seeing artisanal cannabis-infused hot sauces from around the country in our dispensaries and for all the other good things that can come from this bill.
-Rafael Santos