The House of Representatives approved the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, H.R. 3617 on April 1, sending it to Senate. The MORE Act removes cannabis from the federal Controlled Substances Act, allowing states to legalize cannabis, its production and sale, free from federal interference.
What’s next?
It’s up to the Senate of course. And, while many industry experts doubt the Senate will approve federal marijuana reform this year, the question also is – what will happen if the MORE Act does pass?
The hierarchy says it’s up to President Joe Biden. So, the next question is – will Biden use his presidential veto to nix the cannabis legalization bill if it reaches his desk?
Risk Of Losing Young Votes
According to Paul Quirk, a political scientist at the University of British Columbia in Canada, Biden “would be hard-pressed to veto” legislation that supports cannabis use because he can’t allow losing the younger generation of voters, reported Newsweek.
“Legalization is favored by two-thirds of all Americans, an even higher percentage of Democrats, and the vast majority of younger people,” Quirk said. “The 18-39-year-old age group is exactly where Biden has lost the most support since his inauguration.”
“Vetoing marijuana legalization would make Biden public-official enemy No. 1 to many of the young voters whose support he badly needs to win back,” he added.
Marsha Cohena law professor at UC Hastings College of the Law agrees that signing the MORE Act would enable Biden to get back some young voters, although she also thinks chances are slim that the bill will be approved in the Senate.
“Young people may also be those least likely to be responsive to pollsters right now because they might not care. This [bill] might ‘talk’ to them,” Cohen told Newsweek.
There’s also Lisa Jordanvice president of marketing at cannabis consultancy firm Canna Advisors, who also doubts there’s a chance Biden will refuse to sign the bill, because of “growing” public support for federal marijuana legalization in the country.
“Signing the bill would be positive for the cannabis industry and serve as a unifying topic across party lines,” Jordan said. “Without a doubt taking the final step to remove federal prohibition on cannabis would make a noticeable improvement in his ratings.”
What Is Biden’s Stance On Cannabis Legalization?
The truth is, it’s not really clear although
during his 2020 presidential campaign, Biden repeatedly said he wanted to see marijuana decriminalized and prior cannabis convictions automatically expunged.
To Read The Rest Of This Article By Nina Zdinjak on Benzinga
Published: April 08, 2022
Founder & Interim Editor of L.A. Cannabis News
