The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act was passed on a bi-partisan majority vote in December by the House of Representatives.
The MORE Act will decriminalize marijuana and remove it from the federal schedule of controlled substances, and provide for regulation and taxation of legal cannabis sales. According to the most recent Gallup Poll survey, more than 68% of Americans believe cannabis should be legal. At the federal level, cannabis arrests, charges and convictions would be automatically expunged at no cost to the individual. The Bill would ensure the federal government could not discriminate against people because of cannabis use.
More than 600,000 Americans are arrested or cited every year for cannabis possession.
Today 15 states and the District of Columbia have legalized adult-use of cannabis and another 36 states have approved medical cannabis programs.
What’s Next
Senate Majority Leader Schumer has selected Senators Cory Booker and Ron Wyden, Chair of the powerful Senate Finance Committee, to draft a comprehensive federal legislative proposal incorporating some of restorative justice reform provisions in the MORE Act and other provisions that will set federal policy on a path toward correcting an unfair system, ensure interstate commerce and fairly regulate consumer protections.
“Serious criminal justice reform cannot begin in our country without ending the war on cannabis. Removing criminal and non-criminal penalties is essential to a more just society. Simple possession charges or a conviction can end the hopes of getting a place to live, an education or a job. Cannabis arrests, charges and convictions should be automatically removed from individual criminal histories. Our nation seeks to rebuild its economy, we should not hold back hope because of outdated laws that have been unevenly enforced and that most Americans no longer support. The cannabis community now generates billions in sales and hundreds of millions in state tax revenues, critical for states facing budget challenges of historic proportions. Here, close to home, in Santa Barbara County we have developed programs that have created thousands of jobs and generated local economic activities for contractors, suppliers, professional services and support for small family-owned businesses. We are humbled and take pride every day of our efforts in building the very best cannabis sun-grown community in the region.” –Sara Rotman and John De Friel, Co-founders of Good Farmers Great Neighbors
We remain confident, the future is bright and our state and region will continue to lead the way. Last year, Governor Newsom with the strong support of the California State Association of Counties (CSAC), signed into law SB 185 to help protect cannabis farmers and allow producers to build brand awareness in counties and regions of the state to produce and manufacture high quality or organic cannabis farming and products.
Join us and together we will thrive,
Sara and John
