HR5068-119

What This Bill Does

The MORE Act is a broad federal cannabis legalization and reinvestment bill. It removes marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols from the Controlled Substances Act schedules, makes that change effective for pending and past cases, and strikes cannabis references across federal drug, forest, wiretap, transportation, and penalty statutes. It requires BLS demographic data on cannabis owners and employees. It creates an Opportunity Trust Fund funded by cannabis excise taxes: 5 percent for the first two years, then 6 percent, 7 percent, and 8 percent in later years before switching to ounce-based or THC-measurable rates. It creates cannabis enterprise permits, bonded premises, inventories, records, packaging, civil penalties, and criminal tax penalties. It establishes a Cannabis Justice Office and Community Reinvestment Grant Program for job training, reentry, legal aid, expungement help, literacy, youth recreation, mentoring, health education, and substance-use services for communities harmed by the War on Drugs. It opens SBA loans, debentures, and technical assistance to cannabis-related legitimate businesses and service providers. It bars denial of federal public benefits based on cannabis conduct, prevents immigration penalties based on cannabis, requires federal expungement and resentencing review, defines cannabis offenses, directs Treasury, Justice, and SBA rulemaking, and requires GAO, Transportation, NIOSH, and Education studies.

Who Benefits and How

People with federal cannabis convictions benefit from mandatory review, expungement, resentencing, and release processes. Communities harmed by cannabis prohibition benefit from Community Reinvestment Grant Program services funded through the Opportunity Trust Fund. Cannabis-related legitimate businesses benefit because SBA loans, debentures, and technical assistance cannot be denied solely due to cannabis activity. Noncitizens with cannabis conduct benefit because cannabis would not count as a controlled substance for immigration-law purposes. Federal public benefit applicants benefit because cannabis use or conduct cannot be the basis for denial.

Who Bears the Burden and How

Cannabis producers and importers bear new federal excise taxes, occupational taxes, permits, bonded-premises rules, records, packaging, and penalties. Treasury tax administrators must build the federal cannabis tax collection, refund, export, permit, and enforcement system. Justice Department offices must administer Cannabis Justice Office grants and federal expungement and resentencing processes. Federal courts must review covered cannabis cases and issue expungement, sealing, resentencing, or release orders. SBA staff must update loan, debenture, and technical-assistance rules for cannabis-related businesses.

Key Provisions

• Repeals federal controlled-substance scheduling for marijuana and tetrahydrocannabinols.
• Creates an Opportunity Trust Fund funded by cannabis excise taxes.
• Establishes Cannabis Justice Office grants for communities harmed by the War on Drugs.
• Expands SBA loans, debentures, and technical assistance to cannabis-related legitimate businesses.
• Protects federal public benefits and immigration treatment from cannabis-based denial.
• Requires federal cannabis conviction expungement and resentencing review.
• Directs rulemaking and studies on legalization, impairment, workplace effects, and school effects.