Today cannabis advocates across the United States celebrated the historic passage of the MORE Act (the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act) in the House of Representatives.

The MORE Act will remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act‘s list of harmful narcotics; eliminate criminal penalties for manufacturing, distribution, and possession; expunge low-level convictions; and impose a 5 percent federal sales tax. The legislation passed, for the most part, along party lines 228-164.

"It is the right thing to do," said co-sponsor of the MORE Act, Rep. Earl Blumenauer, (D-OR), before Friday's vote. "For too long, the war on drugs has targeted young people, especially Black people, and rejected the advice of experts."

While the passage of the MORE Act marks a tremendous victory in the fight for legalization, many advocates are concerned by last-minute changes made to the bill that impact equity and racial justice measures meant to help repair the damage done by the failed “war on drugs”.

“On November 30th the MORE Act was amended in section 5922 to exclude previously convicted felons from participating in the federal legal Market. This effectively renders the work of social equity programs useless and excludes the population of individuals that were harmed by the war on drugs,” said Amber Senter, Executive Director, Supernova Women, “This also sends a message to larger operators that they do not need to care about black and brown communities or inclusion in cannabis.”

Next, the legislation moves to the Senate where it is unlikely to be taken up for consideration by the Republican majority. Still, advocates are hopeful that while imperfect, the MORE Act is a step in the right direction.

To learn more about the MORE Act, and to find out how you can take part in the fight to end federal cannabis prohibition, click here.