Congress votes MORE on legalizing cannabis

The United States House of Representatives has voted to remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances. The MORE Act was passed with a 218 to 164 majority on Friday Dec 5. Advocates for social and health reform have long pushed to legalize cannabis, but the importance of the Act touches a broad spectrum of issues from social services to environment policy.

Legal Cannabis Across the Country

Over the last two decades, states across the US have moved to legalize medical and recreational cannabis use. Californians voted to legalize medical use in 1996, followed by Washington, Oregon and California. States created their own legislation to regulate medical cannabis production and consumption. In 2012, Colorado and Washington each voted to legalize recreational use of marijuana for those aged 21 and over. During the first year of tax collection in 2014, Colorado made over $67 million from marijuana sales. Now in 2020, the state has collected over $318 million thus far.

Now states like Massachutes and New Jersey are legalizing cannabis in an effort to benefit not only their regional economies, but their residents' lives as well. In total, 15 states have legalized recreational use and 35 total allow medical use.

"America's marijuana map" via NCB News

According to the Committees on Energy and Commerce; Agriculture; and Education and Labor, the cannabis industry is projected to make $22 billion in revenue by 2022, up from $9.5 billion in 2017. Many legislators, including Act co-authors Senators Kamala Harris and Jerry Nadler, believe that a legalized industry would bring much needed funding and support to those negatively affected by drug criminalization.

The MORE Act

Passed by Congress Dec 5, the Act aims to decriminalize and deregulate cannabis while building a framework of support for those negatively affected by the War on Drugs. The Act would also expunge the criminal records of those convicted for nonviolent marijuana-related charges.

The legislation is unique in its framework to actively provide social services to those whose lives were adversely affected by the government’s attempts to police and control drug use. At its core, legislators who sponsor the Act say that those who suffered the most from the War on Drugs benefit the least from the current cannabis industry and what legalization there is.

A ‘Cannabis Justice Office’ would be created within the Office of Justice Programs, and is tasked with administering social services directly for those affected by the War on Drugs. Revenue from the 5 per cent sales tax on cannabis products would go towards a trust fund run by the Cannabis Justice Office.

Programs offered by the fund will include job training, reentry and legal aid, literacy and health education programs, and youth recreation and mentoring partnerships. Eligible recipients will also receive free substance abuse treatment services.

The act would allow the manufacturing of cannabis products to be “treated as tobacco.” By recognizing cannabis as a fully legalized product, the federal government allows cannabis revenue to be taxed nationally and invested into savings accounts; things owners of cannabis dispensaries couldn’t do previously.

Outlook on an Expanded Industry

Growing cannabis legalization to a national level creates opportunities and challenges not only in politics and commerce, but in agriculture and environment as well. In states that are just laying the groundwork for legal operation, regulators are focusing specifically on the environmental impact of cultivating mass quantities of marijuana. States like Michigan “adopted rules on issues like industrial wastewater, water resources, and land management for cannabis growers.”

In Illinois, which just phased in its newly legalized market this year, has prioritized environmental planning when granting permits for farms, or “cultivation centers.” The state took in more than $100 million in sales tax since Jan 1, with more than $20 million in September alone.

With no national framework, states have crafted committees and councils in an effort to tackle serious environmental impacts of large scale cannabis production. Factors like pesticide use, water and energy consumption, and wastewater disposal all require consideration when expanding commercial production. Some states and legislators have experience regulating smaller grow operations where medically legal. In some cases, states are starting from the ground up where voters chose to fully legalize cannabis.

Although the MORE Act is likely to stall at the GOP-controlled Senate, the historic passage of the act marks the first time representatives have voted in favor of legalizing cannabis. The unique perspective of the legislation gives voters and constituents the opportunity to reflect on the impact of criminalizing drugs, and the benefits of legalizing cannabis on a national scale