According to CBS News, The House Judiciary Committee approved a bill today, November 20th, 2019, that would federally decriminalize marijuana. The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019, or MORE Act, passed 24-10 after more than two hours of debate. It now heads to the full House.

The bill would remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances, allow states to set their own marijuana policy and require federal courts to expunge prior convictions for marijuana offenses. A 5% tax on marijuana products would also establish a trust fund for programs designed to help people disproportionately impacted by the "war on drugs," including job training and treatment for substance abuse.

The Associated Press points out if the measure comes up for a vote in the full House, its chances are better in the Democratic-controlled chamber than in the Republican-held Senate, where the bill's future is uncertain.

Visit CBS News for more from this article.

Ready to invest in our company? Learn more at https://republic.co/growing-talent.