House Passes Landmark Marijuana Legalization Bill

Graphic by Brenda Lopez

The City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulation announced that The House passed legislation April 1, that would legalize marijuana nationwide, eliminating criminal penalties for anyone who manufactures, distributes or possesses the substance.

Lawmakers approved the measure 220-204. Republicans Tom McClintock of California and Matt Gaetz and Brian Mast of Florida voted in favor of the legislation, while Democrats Chris Pappas of New Hampshire and Henry Cueller of Texas voted against it.

The legislation, titled the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, passed in the House last year, but did not move forward in the Senate. The bill would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and it would establish procedures for expunging previous convictions from people’s records and impose a tax on the sale of cannabis products.

“The tax would begin at 5% and eventually increase to 8%. Funding raised through the tax would go toward a fund to provide job training, mentoring, substance-use treatment, legal aid, re-entry services and youth recreation programs. It would also provide loans to help small businesses in the cannabis industry that are “owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals,” a summary of the bill read.

The bill now, once again, will head to the Senate.

Democrats would need all of their members and 10 Republicans to overcome a 60-vote hurdle needed to advance to a final vote.

Details: www.congress.gov/bill/ Marijuana-Legalization-Bill