This week, the House of Representatives is set to vote on legislation that if passed will legalize the sale and use of marijuana.
While 37 states have already legalized the substance, it has yet to become legal on the federal level. On Friday, the House will vote on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act that will determine the future of the marijuana industry.
The MORE act would require courts to erase marijuana-related offenses from criminal records, provide public benefits for convicted cannabis-related offenses, generate funds for struggling communities, impose a federal tax on the sale of marijuana, and provide funding for substance misuse education programs.
If passed, the law could generate substantial funding for the federal government. Legal marijuana sales are expected to reach 40.5 billion by the year 2025.
It is anyone’s guess as to whether this bill will make it passed the senate. Even if every Democrat were to vote in favor of the bill, 10 Republican votes would still be needed to ensure the legislation becomes law.
While the outcome of this vote may seem bleak at the moment, it symbolizes a congressional shift in tone following President Reagan’s war on drugs. The government is seeing the benefits of legalizing marijuana and time will tell when they will officially welcome the drug nationally.