Name: The Oklahoman
Brand: oklahoman.com
SKU: oklahoman-com-236
Availability: OnlineOnly

critic

The Oklahoman

preview

The U.S. House passed a bill on Friday that would decriminalize marijuana in federal law, a historic step that the Senate is expected to ignore.The bill, which would remove marijuana from the schedule of dangerous drugs, was approved 228-164, with only five Republicans voting for it.Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Oklahoma City, was the only member from Oklahoma voting for the bill. Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore; Kevin Hern, R-Tulsa; and Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, voted against. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, was absent.Horn said the bill was "good for local businesses, it’s good for public safety, and it takes important steps forward on criminal justice reform. Just two years ago, Oklahoma voters overwhelmingly approved a ballot question legalizing medical marijuana in our state."To empower local businesses in this industry to succeed, we need to eliminate outdated federal regulations and allow Oklahoma to decide its own marijuana policy. By descheduling marijuana, this bill gives our state the opportunity to chart its own path forward. The MORE Act (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act) also corrects for decades of harm caused by misguided federal policies that have had a disproportionate impact on people of color.”Cole said, “With very few legislative days remaining this Congress, it is absolutely ridiculous that Speaker (Nancy) Pelosi and House Democrats chose to prioritize marijuana legalization and protections for exotic animals over items of actual urgency.“Funding for the government is running out in a week. Americans need additional coronavirus relief. Small businesses are barely hanging on due to the economic disruptions and challenges caused by the coronavirus pandemic.”About 40 states have legalized marijuana either for recreational or medicinal purposes, but the federal criminal laws have remained on the books, complicating cannabis industry operations, particularly when it comes to banking. Oklahoma voted overwhelmingly in 2018 to legalize marijuana for medicinal use.Horn, Cole and Hern voted for a bill last year aimed at allowing cannabis businesses to use the federal banking system. That bill was not considered by the Senate.The bill approved Friday would also require federal courts to expunge prior convictions, allow prior offenders to request expungement, and require courts, on motion, to conduct resentencing hearings for those still under supervision, according to the House Judiciary Committee.Many members favoring the bill said it would end the racial inequities in enforcement of the law.Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California, a sponsor of the bill, said “Black and brown people are targeted more frequently” than whites despite equal rates of marijuana usage and get longer sentences.Lee said after the vote that passage of the bill “is a victory for racial justice and brings us one step closer to finally ending the war on drugs.”Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Kentucky, has come out against marijuana legalization in the past and questioned this week why the House was using time on the legislation.Meanwhile, the House passed a bill late Thursday to prevent most private ownership of big cats, such as lions, tigers and cheetahs. The bill gained momentum from the popular Netflix documentary series "Tiger King" about former Oklahoma private zoo owner Joe Exotic, now serving time in federal prison for animal abuse and a murder-for-hire plot.The Big Cat Public Safety Act was approved 272-114. Horn, Lucas and Cole, whose district includes Joe Exotic's former zoo, voted for the bill. Hern voted against.© Copyright 2006-2019 All rights reserved&nbsp;&nbsp;•&nbsp;&nbsp;GateHouse NewsOriginal content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted.The Oklahoman ~ 100 W Main St., Oklahoman City, OK 73102 ~ ~

The U.S. House passed a bill on Friday that would decriminalize marijuana in federal law, a historic step that the Senate is expected to ignore.The bill, which would remove marijuana from the schedule of dangerous drugs, was approved 228-164, with only five Republicans voting for it.Rep. Kendra Horn, D-Oklahoma City, was the only member from Oklahoma voting for the bill. Reps. Tom Cole, R-Moore; Kevin Hern, R-Tulsa; and Frank Lucas, R-Cheyenne, voted against. Rep. Markwayne Mullin, R-Westville, was absent.Horn said the bill was "good for local businesses, it’s good for public safety, and it...

The Oklahoman

No article scores yet.

CRITIC REVIEWS

PUBLIC REVIEWS