Help Advance Marijuana Justice in Congress

We just made history with major victories legalizing marijuana in New York and New Mexico centered in equity and social justice. And Virginia just became the first state in the South to legalize marijuana.

It’s clearer than ever that we need federal reform. Last year, we took an historic step forward when the U.S. House passed the MORE Act. We need Congress to pick up where we left off by reintroducing this important bill, getting it through the House once again and onto the Senate.

Demand marijuana justice for all: tell your members of Congress to reintroduce and swiftly advance the MORE Act to finally end the federal marijuana criminalization and repair the harms of prohibition.

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Your Message

Subject

Dear Representative/Senator,

Message Body

As your constituent, I urge you to support the reintroduction of the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment & Expungement (MORE) Act of 2020 (H.R. 3884/S. 2227) and help advance its passage in both chambers of Congress. Last year, the U.S. House of Representatives made history when it successfully passed the MORE Act – marking the first time ever a chamber of Congress voted to deschedule marijuana and take steps to right the wrongs of prohibition. Indeed, the MORE Act would deschedule marijuana and end federal prohibition in a fair way by reinvesting marijuana tax revenue back into communities most affected by failed marijuana laws.

Marijuana law reform is more pressing than ever in the face of the continued COVID-19 pandemic, its long-lasting impacts, and a growing national dialogue on racial justice. The MORE Act provides an opportunity to contribute to this country’s economic recovery and reduce the burden on the criminal justice system. The MORE Act remains the most effective and equitable way forward.

The MORE Act does the following: 
--Decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level by removing the substance from the Controlled Substances Act (descheduling), enabling states to set their own marijuana policies.
--Requires federal courts to expunge marijuana arrests and convictions, and resentence those still in custody or under court supervision for a marijuana offense.
--Prevents the government from denying an individual federal benefits, student financial aid, or security clearances needed to obtain government jobs because of marijuana use.
--Authorizes the assessment of a 5% excise tax on marijuana sales at the manufacturer level to fund programs and services for individuals most adversely impacted by the drug war, including legal services, job training, and substance misuse treatment.
--Funds equitable licensing programs so that states and localities can implement inclusive marijuana licensing systems that minimize barriers to marijuana licensing and employment for individuals most adversely impacted by drug prohibition.
--Opens up Small Business Administration resources to support economically and socially disadvantaged entrepreneurs within the marijuana and marijuana-related marketplace to increase and help sustain diversity and inclusion.
--Requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect data on the demographics of the industry to ensure equitable participation.

In the face of COVID-19, the MORE Act is needed now more than ever before. Looking towards long-term economic recovery, we must remove barriers to employment for those who have lost jobs, create new businesses and employment opportunities to help replace those that have disappeared and that will not be coming back, and to raise billions of dollars in new tax revenue to off-set the devastating economic losses to state and local governments. The MORE Act would accomplish all of these goals through a 5% excise tax on marijuana sales at the manufacturer level. Every industry will have a role to play in rebuilding the U.S. economy after the pandemic, and a legal, regulated marijuana industry is no different. The MORE Act will ensure that this economic recovery opportunity is equitable and just.

Even more broadly, federal descheduling and expungement will drastically reduce the burden of marijuana charges and arrests in the criminal justice system. This bill would decriminalize marijuana and put in place resentencing processes for marijuana convictions. This would help begin the long overdue reversal of mass incarceration in the U.S. – which is more timely than ever in the times of mass mobilizations for justice reform and in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic still ravaging jails and prisons. The MORE Act focuses on creating community infrastructure and supports that diminish contact with the criminal justice system. The bill creates new funding streams for community reinvestment and economic uplift, with the added public health benefits of ending prohibition and incentivizing states to do the same while centering equity.

We must take every possible action to reduce rates of arrests and incarceration in order to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus and bring long overdue justice to communities plagued by marijuana over-enforcement and racially biased policing.

I hope you will support efforts to reintroduce the next iteration of the MORE Act and help ensure its swift passage this Congressional session. Thank you.

Sincerely,

[First Name] [Last Name]
[Your Address]

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