House of Representatives Passes Bill to Decriminalize Cannabis

On December 4, 2020, the House of Representatives voted 228-164 to pass a bill, the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act, that decriminalizes cannabis at the federal level.  Specifically, the bill removed cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, and would require federal cannabis convictions to be expunged.  The bill is not expected to gain traction in the Republican controlled Senate, as just five Republican representatives voted in favor of the bill.  Nevertheless, this vote is the most significant federal action to legalize cannabis in the country’s history.  

United States House of Representatives