Key lawmakers on Capitol Hill discuss cannabis legislation ahead of House vote

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As the chamber gets closer to voting, cannabis proponents make a last-ditch appeal

On Tuesday, Senator Cory Booker and other leaders and advocates of marijuana legalization held a virtual meeting to talk about current cannabis policies in preparation of a pending vote by the House of Representatives. Their target was the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, and this meeting also saw the presence of Representatives Earl Blumenauer and Ayanna Pressley, as well as Maryland State’s Attorney for Baltimore, Marilyn Mosby, and Drug Policy Alliance Executive Director Kassandra Frederique, who shared their views on the subject. This discussion panel was organized by The Appeal and NowThis and was meant to drive home the importance of cannabis legalization ahead of the vote.

The MORE Act aims to federally reschedule cannabis while promoting restorative justice to the communities that have been historically harmed by the war on drugs. According to some leaders from the House, the chamber is preparing to vote on this legislation next week. The bill was introduced by Blumenauer on the House, and the Senate’s version had Booker as the original cosponsor, but was introduced by Kamala Harris, now running vice president alongside Joe Biden. “I am just really excited about this historic vote that’s about to happen on the MORE Act and really looking forward to seeing and hearing about the House’s momentum that I think could carry us into a Congress if we should take back control of the Senate in this election,” Booker said.

“Members of Congress who take a bolder stand are rewarded. Nobody’s losing an election over this. There’s blowback if they aren’t being heard,” said Blumenauer when asked about the ongoing rumors about the House due to concerns regarding passing the law now. “The dawn has settled, and I think the momentum has swelled. I think we’re going to see not just a strong vote in the House, but I think there’s a chance that this is going to move through the Senate, with the leadership of Senator Booker.”