House Backs Legalization Amid Global Legalization Advancements
December 8, 2020In case you missed Friday’s alert, the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of cannabis descheduling, approving the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act by a vote of 228-164. The Senate does not plan to take up the bill before its session ends, so it’s unlikely to become law this year. Nonetheless, its passage through the House marks the first time a chamber of Congress has supported easing the federal government’s strict classification of cannabis since it was labeled a Schedule I drug in 1970. It follows four more states legalizing recreational cannabis last month as another clear sign that public opinion has shifted substantially toward cannabis acceptance.
The U.S. is not alone in its growing open-mindedness on the issue. The United Nations’ Commission on Narcotic Drugs also voted last week to reschedule cannabis, moving it from the category comprising the most dangerous drugs that have no medical applications to a lesser one. The U.S. delegation supported the change. Like the MORE Act vote, the move is unlikely to change things in the short term, as cannabis remains in the strictest category of the separate international drug control system. Though its immediate impact is limited, the symbolic meaning of the vote is huge and it may open the door to further international research into cannabis and its properties. It also signals to other countries contemplating legalization that the U.S.’s position has softened.
Finally, legalization efforts are advancing in Mexico where its Senate voted for the matter. The bill now faces a vote in its lower chamber of Congress, the Chamber of Deputies, where it is currently making its way through various committees. A final floor vote is expected by tomorrow—the country has a December 15 deadline to legalize cannabis following an order from Mexico’s Supreme Court, which found prohibition unconstitutional in 2018.—Danny Sullivan
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