to the. Senator and former astronaut Mark Kelly joins colleagues against federal marijuana reform
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Although the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, HR 3617, on April 1 and sent it to the Senate, the great cannabis battle is not over. Some say it’s only just begun.
The MORE Act, which aims to remove cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act and allow states to legalize cannabis, its production and sale free from federal interference, seems to have many opponents among politicians.
Photo by Elsa Olofsson via Unsplash
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On the other hand, according to the latest poll conducted by YouGov, more than 50% of the US population wants marijuana legalized at the federal level.
More specifically, 60% said yes to legalizing cannabis. While Democrats tend to support the change, 72% of them voted in favor of marijuana reform. Republicans are evenly split on the issue, with 46% in favor and 46% against.
Just this week, US Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) confirmed fears that the bill would not be supported by all Senate Democrats.
Kelly, a retired NASA astronaut and retired US Navy captain, noted that the law should make it easier for cannabis companies to operate in states that have legalized the plant but “no longer supported it,” azfamily writes.
“I generally think that people legally doing business in states like Arizona should have access to the banking system, but I need to look at the details,” Kelly said.
This is a clear sign that the MORE bill has little chance of reaching President Biden’s desk, considering it requires 60 votes from the 100-seat chamber and most Republicans have already openly opposed it.
Photo by Olena Ruban/Getty Images
Senators who recently opposed cannabis reform
When asked about the MORE Act in the Capitol last week, Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) said, “Okay, I don’t support that. I had family members who had a lot of drug problems, so I won’t do it,” CNSNews reported.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex) responded and Sen. James Lankford (R-Okla) shared the same sentiment.
Even Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), a leading GOP leader who is in favor of removing cannabis from the federally controlled substances list, voted against it. Why?
RELATED: House Passes MORE Act to Legalize Weed at the Federal Level, But Don’t Get Too Excited
“The MORE Act is forcing a system on South Carolinans and other states that don’t want them. By comparison, my bill, the States Reform Act, removes the federal government from the equation and allows states to make their own decisions,” Mace explained, as reported by The State.
Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO.) doesn’t think the measure “would go through the Senate right now,” and Sen. Steve Daines (R-Mont.) emphasized that there are “serious drug problems in Montana,” a state which has legalized recreational marijuana in recent years.
A spark of light
What many cannabis enthusiasts in the US say they hope, and most cannabis industry experts agree, is that legalization of medical marijuana stands a better chance, as does some form of cannabis banking reform.
Republicans, in general, seem more interested in helping solve what many see as one of the industry’s biggest problems: banking. Medical marijuana reform appears to be more acceptable to members of both parties.
This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.
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