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•The bill would alsoestablish a process to get rid of marijuana-based
The House on Friday passed legislation that would decriminalize marijuana in the country and eliminate criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.
The legislation, known as the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, was approved by the lawmakers in a 220-204 vote.
The bill would also establish a process to expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings related to federal cannabis offenses.
According to the bill, an excise tax would be imposed on cannabis products produced in or imported into the United States and an occupational tax on cannabis production facilities and export warehouses.
“This landmark legislation is one of the most important criminal justice reform bills in recent history,” House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., said in remarks on the floor Thursday about the measure, reported CNBC.
Pelosi said the legislation would deliver “justice for those harmed by the brutal, unfair consequences of criminalization,” open opportunities for people to participate in the industry and decriminalize pot at the federal level “so we do not repeat the grave mistakes of our past.”
The House passed the legislation last year but it did not move forward in the Senate.
In 1996, California became the first state to legalize medical marijuana. Several other states have legalized marijuana for medical purposes since then with 18 states and D.C. legalizing marijuana for recreational purposes.
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