ACTION ALERT: Congress to Vote on Historic MORE Act

The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act (H.R. 3884) is expected to come to a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives in December 2020. NCIA has been building support for this bill in Congress for the last year and now we need your help!

Please call your member of Congress and ask them to vote YES on the MORE Act today! 

Look up your congressional representative and contact info by zip code, here.

Reference our congressional scorecard to find out if your representatives are sponsoring NCIA’s priority legislation, including the MORE Act.

Sample script to help guide your call:

Hello! My name is _______________ and I am a constituent of yours in (city, state, zip code). I am calling today to ask that Representative _____________ votes “Yes” on H.R. 3884, the MORE Act, when it comes to the Floor for a vote in December.

This bill would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act at the federal level, leaving marijuana policy up to the individual states. It also creates avenues towards expungement, re-sentencing, and assists those communities that have most been impacted by the failed war on marijuana. Additionally, legal cannabis is a huge economic driver and would help both the federal government and states’ revenue shortfalls during this pandemic. 

Thank you for your time today. Again, I hope Representative _____________ will vote “Yes” on H.R. 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act. 

*Feel free to tell a personal story if you feel it is relevant or powerful, but remember that staffers are busy so sometimes short and sweet is best!*

Summary of the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act of 2019:

The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act (H.R. 3884, S. 2227), commonly known as the MORE Act, was introduced in 2019 by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler (D-NY) and Senator (now Madam Vice President-Elect) Kamala Harris (D-CA).

This bill would: 

• Decriminalize cannabis federally: The bill removes cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, leaving cannabis policy up to the states
• Allow for expungement of marijuana convictions and arrests, sealing of records, and re-sentencing: Requires federal courts to expunge prior convictions and arrests and seal court records for those not under a current criminal justice sentence and requires courts, on motion, to conduct re-sentencing hearings for those under a criminal justice sentence.
• Establish sales tax and “Opportunity Trust Funds”: Authorizes the assessment of a 5% sales tax on marijuana and marijuana products to create an Opportunity Trust Fund, which includes three grant programs: 
  • The Community Reinvestment Grant Program, administered by the Department of Justice, would provide services to the individuals most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs, including job training, re-entry services, legal aid, literacy programs, youth recreation, mentoring, and substance use treatment. 
  • The Cannabis Opportunity Grant Program, administered by the Small Business Administration (SBA), would provide funds for loans to assist small businesses in the marijuana industry that are owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals. 
  • The Equitable Licensing Grant Program, also administered by SBA, would provide funds for programs that minimize barriers to marijuana licensing and employment for the individuals most adversely impacted by the War on Drugs. 
• Make available SBA programs and services to cannabis businesses: Specifies that the SBA may not negate eligibility for loans and other services based on a business being cannabis related. 
• Clarify federal public benefits: Prohibits the denial of any federal public benefit (including housing) based on the use or possession of marijuana, or prior conviction for a marijuana offense. 
• Protects immigrants: Provides that the use or possession of marijuana, or prior conviction for a marijuana offense, will have no adverse impact under the immigration laws. 
• Provide for data Collection: Requires the Bureau of Labor Statistics to collect data on the demographics of the industry to assess whether people of color and those who are economically disadvantaged are participating in the industry. 
• Age equity for juveniles: The bill applies equally to juveniles and adults, protecting young people from harmful criminal records.