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(ABC News) –The House of Representatives took a historic vote Friday to pass a bill for the first time that would federally decriminalize marijuana.
What does that mean and what happens next? Here is a breakdown:
What is the MORE Act? The MORE Act stands for Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act. The bill would federally decriminalize marijuana and also mandate a reassessment of prior marijuana convictions, invest in services for people caught up in the war on drugs and open Small Business Administration funding for legitimate cannabis-related businesses, according to the text of the bill.
What does decriminalization mean? Since the passage of the Controlled Substances Act in 1970, Congress has largely prohibited the cultivation, distribution and possession of marijuana. Legalization means all legal prohibitions would be removed against marijuana. That’s not what the MORE Act proposes.
Decriminalization is the removal of preexisting criminal sanctions against an action, article or behavior. Marijuana would remain illegal, but the federal criminal justice system would not prosecute anyone for possession under a specified amount.
For example, some states have passed laws to decriminalize small amounts of marijuana intended to turn a blind eye against users while maintaining strict limits that maintain enforcement…
