House passes bill to decriminalize marijuana on the federal level

The House of Representatives has taken a historic vote to decriminalize marijuana on the federal level.

The House passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, which would federally decriminalize marijuana and create "a process to remove prior convictions," in a 228-164 vote on Friday, CNN reports. The bill also includes a five percent tax on marijuana to fund programs for "individuals most adversely impacted by the war on drugs," Axios reports.

The MORE Act is not seen as having a chance at passing in the Republican-controlled Senate, but the move was still significant in that it was the first time that one of the chambers of Congress voted to decriminalize marijuana on the federal level, Axios noted.

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House Judiciary Chair Jerrold Nadler (D-N.Y.) in a statement on Friday said this "long overdue legislation would reverse the failed policy of criminalizing marijuana on the federal level and would take steps to address the heavy toll this policy has taken across the country, particularly on communities of color."

Republican leaders criticized Democrats over the vote on the MORE Act amid negotiations on COVID-19 relief, with House Minority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) calling it "tone-deaf" and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) sarcastically saying, "The House of Representatives is spending this week on pressing issues like marijuana. You know, serious and important legislation befitting this national crisis."

But Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who co-sponsored the legislation, said Friday, "My Republican colleagues today will make a number of arguments against this bill, but those arguments are overwhelmingly losing with the American people."