In a historic move 50 years in the making, the MORE Act has been passed by the U.S. House of Representatives, which effectively decriminalizes marijuana at the federal level.
The bill passed by a mostly partisan line of 228-164 in the Democratic-controlled House Friday. It was the first time either chamber of Congress voted on the matter.
The Republican-controlled Senate is unlikely to take up the legislation.
Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-NY), who sponsored the bill, stated, “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.”
Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) was among a handful of Republicans who voted for the legislation. Gaetz was the only Republican cosponsor of the legislation.
“If we were measuring the success in the ‘war on drugs,’ it would be hard to conclude anything other than the fact that drugs have won” because Americans no longer supported harsh laws on drugs, Gaetz said.
“With this vote, Congress is recognizing the disproportionate impact enforcement has had on our communities and calling for the unjust status quo to be disrupted,” said Maritza Perez, director of the office of national affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance, a group advocating for the decriminalization of drugs.
Watch the video below.