Tell Congress: End Federal Marijuana Criminalization. Rescheduling Leaves Gaps.

Through an executive order, President Trump has directed his administration to expedite and complete the process of rescheduling marijuana from Schedule I (the most restrictive category) to Schedule III (a less restrictive category) on the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). This would result in some tax benefits for marijuana businesses and could potentially lift some, but not all, research on marijuana’s health risks and medical uses. But Schedule III would maintain federal criminalization and its harms.

Descheduling is the only way to decriminalize marijuana and build a legal framework that benefits all Americans.

As we advocate for the Trump administration to deschedule marijuana, we are also pushing Congress to act. The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act has been reintroduced in the House of Representatives. This comprehensive legislation would begin repairing the harms of marijuana criminalization. That means ending barriers to jobs, housing, and food assistance; helping ensure a fair playing field so small businesses and people with marijuana convictions can participate in the industry; lifting all barriers to research; and more.

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Your Message

Subject

Dear Representative,

Message Body

Recently, President Trump signed an executive order directing the attorney general to expedite and complete the process to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule III under the Controlled Substances Act. While this action acknowledges that marijuana has medical value, provides tax benefits for marijuana businesses, and may lift some restrictions on marijuana research, it does not address the ongoing harms of marijuana criminalization. Real reform means ending marijuana criminalization at the federal level and establishing a federal regulatory framework based in health, evidence, justice, and reinvestment.

That is why I urge you to support comprehensive marijuana reform legislation that deschedules marijuana by co-sponsoring the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act (H.R. 5068), which was recently introduced in the House. This vital bill would end federal criminal penalties once and for all by removing (“descheduling”) marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).  It would also begin to repair the harms caused by marijuana criminalization that have blocked access to jobs, housing, and food assistance; help ensure a fair playing field so small businesses and people with marijuana convictions can participate in the industry; lift all barriers to research; allow veterans to access medical marijuana; and so much more.

The MORE Act would decriminalize marijuana federally and help set up a regulatory framework for a fair industry that benefits everyday Americans by:

-Ending federal criminal penalties once and for all by descheduling marijuana and removing it from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA). Criminal penalties can block access to jobs, housing, and other essential needs.

-Repairing the harms caused by marijuana criminalization including reduced sentences and automatic expungements for those with marijuana convictions. This ensures people can move on with their lives and successfully reintegrate into society.

-Investing marijuana tax revenue in communities harmed by prohibition. This funding can support addiction services, reentry programs for people who have been incarcerated, and assistance with housing, employment, and education.

-Providing benefits for small marijuana businesses. It would create a fund to offer loans for small cannabis businesses owned by people from impacted communities and allow the marijuana industry to access Small Business Administration funding.

-Advancing public health by easing research restrictions. Ending federal marijuana prohibition would lift all the existing research barriers and finally allow research of the full medical and scientific potential of marijuana. Rescheduling alone would not lift most barriers on research.

-Allowing veterans to access medical marijuana by making it easier for them to participate in state medical marijuana programs.

Supporting this bill is more urgent than ever in light of President Trump’s recent Executive Order on marijuana rescheduling. Even if his administration moves forward with rescheduling marijuana, it will still be criminalized under federal law—allowing people to continue being arrested and incarcerated for marijuana-related conduct. I urge you to support the MORE Act in order to end federal marijuana prohibition for good, repair the harms it’s caused, and build an industry that can benefit all Americans. The MORE Act is proven legislation that has passed in the House twice in recent years and I hope you will help do it again as soon as possible.

Sincerely,

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

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