The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2019 (HR 3884) was passed by the House of Representatives on Friday December 4. This bill would decriminalize marijuana by removing it from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminates criminal penalties for individuals who manufacture, distribute, or possesses marijuana.
From its Congressional summary, the bill also makes other changes, including the following:

  • replaces statutory references to marijuana and marihuana with cannabis,
  • requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to regularly publish demographic data on cannabis business owners and employees,
  • establishes a trust fund to support various programs and services for individuals and businesses in communities impacted by the war on drugs,
  • imposes a 5% tax on cannabis products and requires revenues to be deposited into the trust fund,
  • makes Small Business Administration loans and services available to entities that are cannabis-related legitimate businesses or service providers,
  • prohibits the denial of federal public benefits to a person on the basis of certain cannabis-related conduct or convictions,
  • prohibits the denial of benefits and protections under immigration laws on the basis of a cannabis-related event (e.g., conduct or a conviction),
  • establishes a process to expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses, and
  • directs the Government Accountability Office to study the societal impact of cannabis legalization.

At this time, the Senate is not expected to take up the bill and it will need to be reintroduced into the next Congressional session after January 3, 2021 to progress further.

Other Cannabis Developments of Note
 
Medical Marijuana Research
Another piece of federal cannabis legislation, the Medical Marijuana Research Act (HR 3797) was passed by the House of Representatives Wednesday December 9. This bill would simplify the registration process for marijuana researchers, allow more manufacturers to produce marijuana for research purposes, and allow researchers to study state-approved marijuana products. The House Energy and Commerce Committee amended and approved by voice vote on Sept. 9, 2020. The bill is being voted on as part of the House “suspension” calendar as a non-controversial proposal.
 
UN Classification of Cannabis
On December 2, the United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) voted to remove cannabis from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs, the most restrictive category. Cannabis has been listed on the strictest control schedule for 59 years, a classification that even discouraged its use for medical purposes. As a results of this vote, cannabis and cannabis resin are no longer classified as among the most harmful substances and are acknowledged as having medical benefits, however they will still be subject to restrictions under the Schedule I category. 
 
EU Cannabidiol Ruling
In November, the European Union Court of Justice ruled that cannabidiol (CBD) is not a narcotic substance, and ruled that a French ban on the marketing of CBD products contradicted the EU laws on free movement of goods among member states. The opinion of the Court is that the most severe restrictions for products that are lawfully produced in other member states can only be established when the public health risk is clearly defined by scientific data.
 
Please let AHPA know if you have any questions about any of these developments.