By Canadian Press

On April Fools’, Congress gets serious about clearing way for legal marijuana in U.S.

Apr 1, 2022 | 9:27 AM

WASHINGTON — It may be April Fools’ Day, but Democrats in Congress are nonetheless getting serious about legalizing marijuana in the United States.

The House of Representatives began the day by debating a proposal to remove the drug from the Controlled Substances Act, and is expected to vote on it later today.

Should it be passed on Capitol Hill and signed by the president, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act would effectively decriminalize pot at the federal level.

It would also eliminate criminal penalties for the manufacture, possession and distribution of cannabis and impose new taxes on production and imports.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer says the bill would eliminate a long-standing imbalance in the criminal justice system dating back to the start of the so-called war on drugs.

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Hoyer, who has represented his Maryland district in the House since 1981, says he’s now convinced that the time has come to abandon that effort when it comes to marijuana.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 1, 2022.

The Canadian Press