Bill would decriminalize marijuana while leaving state laws unchanged. Hows a top member explained the bill to members. Marijuana oppo reinvestment and expungement act 2020, or the more act of 2020. I am with great determination American People who in a ajority of democrats and republicans understand the importance of the more act, and it is important to pass a long overdue measure and of my ge the rest colleagues to do so as well. Promote ise today to drug use. Thoset rise today to harm young people who are in the beginning of their life. Today to undermine Law Enforcement. N fact, in speaking to a representative of the Law Enforcement community, dealing legislation detailing this legislation, there was a great relief and understanding and the justice that will be rendered with the act. Ge of the more it has taken us a long time to get here, and i would like to thank e opportunity to all of those who made it possible for us to consider this today. In particular, my colleague, our house Judiciary Committee, the author of this bill, chairman jerry nadler. Has worked without ceasing on this legislation. Determined wo very colleagues whove continued their advocacy and they were particularly instrumental in us here, congresswoman barbara lee, and congressman earl blumenauer. Summarize the provisions of the more act, they fall into three categories. Remove imply it would marijuana or cannabis from the list or the schedule of substances. Ntrolled this means that going forward, individuals could no longer be for cuted federally marijuana offenses. This does not mean that marijuana would now be legal in entire United States, as some have tried to argue. Remove the ply federal government from interfering with state laws and structures from the business of prosecuting marijuana cases and would leave question of legality to the individual states. Those states choosing to do so. Nalize can without ongoing interference from the federal government. That choose to continue to make marijuana asegal can continue to do so well. Second, the bill would establish taxation structure to collect a sales tax on marijuana, which over the course of five years 5 to 8 . Ease from the funds collected through this to establish a rust to do good to reinvest in communities ravaged by the war on drugs. Firsthand by living and growing up in those communities, those communities communities those beyond. What i would also say it would relief. Nking businesses who ultimately will legislation s legal will have the legal right and opportunity to secure relationships. The trust fund will be used for rehabilitation and Reentry Department of justice, and for programs in the Small Business administration to the growing marijuana market is diverse and pens up opportunities for entrepreneurship in communities that have been adversely impacted by the war on drugs. My he last week in community, a bright young because ofwas killed marijuana, marijuana sales. Light, yes, was extinguished in a minute with violence. Is what we want to see eliminated. We want a government structure saves lives. Inally, the bill would expunge and seal federal marijuana a ests and convictions and muchneeded measure to try to undo the damage thats been done o our communities since marijuana was arbitrarily placed on the list of controlled 1970. Nces back in the numbers are staggering. But most of all, the numbers are with the imbalance, prosecution of africanamericans latinx heritage, hispanic heritage. Imbalance, what a massive infusion of ncarceration across this nation. Thousands of men and women have suffered needlessly from the federal criminalization of arijuana, particularly in communities of color and have borne the burden of collateral ensneeredes for those in the criminal legal system thats damaged our society across generations. Is unacceptable and we must change our laws. It is time for congress to catch with the reforms that states have enacted. Its time for congress to catch americans. 36 states, the district of columbia, puerto rico, and guam legaldopted laws allowing access to cannabis. 15 states, the district of columbia, and the Northern Islands have adopted legalizing cannabis for use. Ational the state Legal Cannabis industry already employs almost a quarter of a Million People federal government needs to get out of the way of forelevel decisions making their citizens. We need to open the door to research, Better Banking and tax laws. Help fuel Economic Growth in this industry. We need to save lives. We need to help young people. Need to bring our nation together. Without ed to do this continuing to spend federal resources on criminalization and unjust incarceration for marijuana offenses. We need to pass the more act. Why i support and that is why i believe its important and support this bill today, and i ask my colleagues to do the same. Mr. Speaker, i reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentlewoman from texas reserves. He gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Jordan thank you, mr. Speaker. I yield three minutes to the from he good dr. Good doctor from the state of South Carolina. The peaker pro tempore gentleman is recognized is recognized, the gentleman from South Carolina. North carolina. Thank you, mr. Speaker. Rise today in opposition of h. R. 3884, the marijuana and tunity reinvestment expungement act. As a practicing physician for this bill deeply troubles me, especially with its implications for our youth population. Marijuana is one of the most this substances on planet. I will say i am sympathetic to marijuana for pain relief. I really am. Its been clinically proven to activity in this area. 2020, study july, considered the t. H. C. Component cannabis can be the main ulprit in psychosis and schizophrenia. A five times increase in cannabis users. The u. S. Surgeon general agreed health risks ous associated with the use of marijuana in adolescence and in pregnancy. Murphy the bill fails to have t. H. C. Dards to concentrates or edibles from hands of the adolescents and young adults are still growing. This bill disrespects states to prevent s violence and the use of firearms n growing and distributing marijuana. Lastly, it allows for the potential of marijuana revenue o fund criminal organizations, gangs or cartels. Ive been to the border and have smuggling seen what operations this legislation might allow. Would galizing weed create revenue from taxes. But at what cost . Do we then start legalizing cocaine . Marijuana is a gateway drug, mistake about that. It undoubtedly leads to further drug ch more dangerous use. And while i do believe that edical marijuana can have some activity in chronic pain or hose with cancer, this bill simply goes way too far. I will vote against it on the my e floor, and i urge colleagues to do the same. Thank you and i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the carolina from north yields back. The gentleman from ohio reserves. The gentlewoman from texas is recognized. Ms. Jackson lee just for a want to r. Speaker, i ask unanimous consent that all members may have five to slative days in which revise and extend their remarks and insert extraneous material 3884. Just for a moment, mr. Speaker, marijuana is not a gateway drug. Withoutker pro tempore objection. Ms. Jackson lee its not a gateway drug. Scientific le evidence demonstrating that the use of marijuana does not cause other illicit substances. According to the national abuse, the drug majority of marijuana users do not use other harder substances. Not have any provision to sell marijuana to children. Im delighted to yield one johnson, a. Distinguished member of the house Judiciary Committee. You. Ohnson thank the speaker pro tempore the gentleman is recognized for one minute. Madam nson thank you, chair. I rise in support of the more act. Targeting drugs communities of color, primarily, advent of d in the the Prison Industrial Complex consumed theon and lives of countless individuals and families. And brown ack children in our country have grown up without a parent governmentsponsored crony capitalism which saw rofits in policies that put people in prison rather than dealing with drug abuse as a issue. Health the criminalization of marijuana disenfranchise an entire generation of black men and women. Important t is an step forward towards more enlightened policy, and im favor of this n bill, and i encourage my colleagues to do the same. With that i yield back. The speaker pro tempore the yields back. The gentlewoman from texas reserves. The gentleman from ohio is recognized. Mr. Jordan mr. Speaker, id yield three minutes to the mr. Eman from florida, gaetz. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from florida is recognized. Mr. Gaetz i thank the gentleman for yielding. Is flawed. T it uses cannabis policy to do a of social engineering to create new taxes and new and redistribution of assets. But i am here as the only of the an cosponsor more act, and im voting for it. Because the federal government of this to the people country about marijuana for a generation. Generation, a particularly of black and brown youth, locked up for offenses should not have resulted in any incarceration whatsoever. Troubled that the current policy the federal government inhibits research cannabis. Research that could unlock cures nd help people live better lives. My republican colleagues today will make a number of arguments bill, but those arguments are overwhelmingly people. Ith the american in every state where cannabis reform was on the ballot in this it passed. It passed with overwhelming support. As a matter of fact, the only i know thats more popular than getting out of the war on drugs is getting out of war in afghanistan. Ut if we were measuring the success in the war on drugs, it would be hard to conclude anything other than the fact won. Drugs have because the American People do ot support the policies of incarceration, limited research, limited choice, and constraining medical application. We are here in a time where many people in our country are suffering. They are in pain. And its documented that states with hat medical cannabis programs see a eduction in the prescribing of opioids, the number of opioid abuses and deaths. House hearings in the Judiciary Committee where people in our government must confess hat this is in fact true, that the more we give people access to medical cannabis programs the see a blunting of this horrible scourge of opioid addiction and opioid abuse. We talk all the time on the right about the need to empower people and empower states. Right now the federal policy on cannabis constrains our people, it limits our states. And i would only hope in the 117th congress, after this bill invariably dies in the senate, well come back and pass the states act. The states act acknowledges that we have screwed this up in the federal government. While we have screwed it up, states have taken action, they have designed programs in the way in the way our great federal system promises. If we pass the states act, best practices would emerge, states that developed applicable programs for their people, and we would see better policies. Im going to vote for the more act. It wont pass the stat. It wont become law. We should come back in the 117th congress and we should truly do more for our people. I thank the gentleman. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from florida yield back. The gentleman from ohio reserves. The gentlewoman from texas is recognized. Ms. Jackson lee let me first thank the gentleman from florida for making this a bipartisan bill. I thank him for his insight. I know that we will have many opportunities to work together. I might add, if we pass the more act, we will allow veterans, hospitals, doctors to be engaged in research to help our returning soldiers and veterans who are suffering from a variety of diseases that may be impacted by marijuana use. Im delighted now to yield to mr. Jeffreys, distinguished member of the Judiciary Committee and chair of the democratic caucus. Two minutes. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york is recognized. Mr. Jefferies i thank the distinguished gentlelady from texas for yielding. The failed war on drugs first began almost 50 years ago when Richard Nixon declared drug abuse public enemy number one. At the time there were less than 200,000 people incarcerated in america. Today there are 2. 3 million. Disdisproportionately black and latino. Many of those incarcerated over the years imprisoned for nonviolent drug offenses, including suppose of marijuana. The United States incarcerates more people than any other country in the world. We have ruined lives. Families and communities. Its a stain on our democratcy. Democracy. The possession of marijuana is done in equal if not greater numbers by white americans when compared to black americans. And yet in community after community after community blacks and latinos make up approximately 75 to 80 of the arrests and prosecutions. How can that be . Marijuana use is either socially acceptable behavior or its criminal conduct. But it cant be socially acceptable behavior in some neighborhoods and criminal conduct in other neighborhoods when the dividing line is race. And thats why we must pass the more act, decriminalize marijuana in america, and bring to life the principle of liberty and justice for all. I yield back. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from new york yields back. The gentlewoman from texas reserves. The gentleman from ohio, mr. Jordan, is recognized. Mr. Jordan thank you, mr. Speaker. I was all over the state of ohio in the recent campaign. I was all over the country. I was in georgia, florida, wisconsin, pennsylvania, texas. All over the place. Person , not once did a come up to me, american citizen come up to me and say, you know what, the first thing i hope that congress does after this election, first major piece of legislation i hope the Congress Takes up after this election, is to legalize marijuana. Not once did that happen. This bill does more than that. This bill this bill its not enough to legalize marijuana. They want taxpayers to pay for it. This bill sets up a grant program. This is the marijuana business infrastructure bill. Sets up an office o in the department of justice. Office in the department of justice. Special office in the department of justice for the Marijuana Industry, grant dollars, taxpayer dollars. I didnt have anyone tell me you know what i hope the democrats first big bill, i hope its to give my tax dollars to the Marijuana Industry. Thats exactly whats happened here. This shouldnt surprise us. Think about what the democrats did earlier this week. Their first big hearing, their first hearing since the election in the Judiciary Committee was wednesday. The crime subcommittee. That was a hearing about letting criminals out of prison early because of the covid issue. Letting criminals out early in an environment where Violent Crime is increasing. We know this summer aggravated assaults up 14 , homicides up 53 . Democrat mayors and City Councils around the country in our major urban areas are defunding the police. In that overall environment, where homicides are up, aggravated assaults are up, they want to release criminals early. I want to read from the letter. Heres a letter that mr. Nadler and congresswoman bass sent to the attorney general back in march. We urge you to use every tool at your disposal to release at many prisoners as possible to protect from covid19. They go on to further state, this is the part thats scary, what you do with individuals who are highrisk of contracting covid19 who are not in low or minimum security facilities who have been convicted of serious offenses, we urge you to consider that even these individuals in these categories be assessed for relief. So even the most violent criminals, they were looking they were encouraging the attorney general to release on our streets. Oh, and just like with this marijuana bill, they wanted your tax dollars to pay for it. Grant program to the states, to release criminals early even the most violent criminals. In an environment where Violent Crime is up. Where our democrat mayors are defunding the police, and taking cops off the street. In that environment release criminals early, and oh, your tax dollars pay for it. Thats what they wanted to do. Now, and now they say, oh, by the way, its not just enough your tax dollars go to states to release criminals early in that environment when they are defunding the police and Violent Crime is up, we also want you to pay for the Marijuana Industry. You got to be kidding me. You got to be kidding me. They started the week off saying having a hearing on paying states to release criminals out of our jails. Now they are going to end the week by saying, taxpayers pay for the Marijuana Industry. This is crazy. This is exactly what they want to do. Think about this for a second. Think about a Small Business owner, lets pick any big, portland, Small Business owner in portland who this summer had their who pay their local taxes and this summer had their business destroyed because democrat leaders in that city would not protect their business, now democrats in congress are saying, oh, we want your federal tax dollars to be used to release criminals early, and to buttress the Marijuana Industry. Such a deal. Such a deal for the taxpayer. Thats what the democrats have prioritized this week in the United States congress. And its ridiculous. I reserve the balance of my time. The speaker pro tempore the gentleman from ohio reserves. The gentlewoman from texas is recognized. Ms. Jackson lee it is interesting my good friend has been in different places than we have been in the house Judiciary Committee, but he remains my good friend. Obviously our hearing this w