House Lawmakers Announce Witnesses For Hearings To Discuss Marijuana Reform

The House Oversight Civil Rights and Civil Liberties Subcommittee announced a hearing on Tuesday titled “Developments in State Cannabis Laws and Bipartisan Cannabis Reforms at the Federal Level,” which will take place on November 15.

Hearing Purpose

“This hearing will be a bipartisan examination of the many benefits of decriminalization at the federal level, including criminal justice reform, which will largely benefit communities of color, as well as the justice system more broadly; access for veterans through the Department of Veterans Affairs; and the ability for the legal cannabis industry to access financial services,” reads an official announcement.

Witnesses

Congressional lawmakers posted a notice providing details about the meeting, and announced witnesses for the hearing. 

Witnesses include members of marijuana reform and lobbying groups, as well as the Mayor of Birmingham, Alabama, reported Marijuana Moment.

They include:

• Randall Woodfin, Mayor of Birmingham
• Paul Armentano, Deputy Director of NORML
• Andrew Freedman, executive director of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education and Regulation (CPEAR)
• Eric Goepel, founder and CEO of Veterans Cannabis Coalition (VCC)
• Keeda Haynes, senior legal advisor of Free Hearts
• Amber Littlejohn, senior policy advisor of the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce (GACC)
• Jillian Snider, director of criminal justice & civil liberties at R Street Institute

HEARING: Next Tuesday @ 10 AM, Subcom Chair @RepRaskin will hold a hearing to examine decriminalization of cannabis at the federal level.https://t.co/zGdbJMZEA6

What Does The Subcommittee's Notice Say?

The notice said that members will “examine the many benefits of cannabis decriminalization at the federal level, including addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system, improving treatment options for veterans, and allowing marijuana companies to access traditional banking services.”

It also discusses racial disparities in cannabis enforcement and the “life-altering implications for employment, housing, and education” that can come with a cannabis conviction. “Decriminalizing cannabis at the federal level and expunging criminal convictions for possession would alleviate these burdens and allow for societal advancement."

According to the notice, members will examine legislative efforts to remove marijuana from the list of controlled substances, including passage in the House of Representatives of the Marijuana Opportunity Elimination and Reinvestment Act (MORE Act), and “to balance federal regulation of this burgeoning industry with existing state-based regimes.”

States Reform Act And MORE Act

Multiple bills have been introduced in Congress to reform federal cannabis law and remove Marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act (CSA).

The Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (aka the MORE Act) would, according to supporters, “open the door to research, better banking and tax laws, and help fuel economic growth as states are looking for financial resources.”

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