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A bipartisan set of lawmakers filed a bill in July to expunge federal convictions for low-level marijuana crimes.
The bill is currently named the Marijuana Misdemeanor Expungement Act was introduced by Louisiana Democratic Rep. Troy A. Carter, Sr. and North Dakota Republican Rep. Kelly Armstrong, according to Forbes. The bill aims to remove convictions for minor violations of federal marijuana laws and opens up processes for clearing non-felony cannabis offenses within the federal judicial system. (TAKE A POLL: Do You Agree That Small Businesses Are the Backbone of Our Economy and Need More Support?)
“No one should be in jail just for using or possessing marijuana. This bipartisan bill will restore justice to millions of Americans who have suffered excessive secondary consequences associated with marijuana-related misdemeanors,” said Carter in a July statement. “These misdemeanors, even without a conviction, can restrict the ability to access educational aid, housing assistance, occupational licensing, and even foster parenting. Delivering justice for people who have been impacted by marijuana-related misdemeanors is a vital part of comprehensive cannabis reform.”
Medical Marijuana In North Carolina?
Along with federal-level reform, bipartisan groups of lawmakers are also moving medical marijuana legalization through North Carolina’s Senate. (TAKE A POLL: Should the National Requirement for Maternity Leave Be Over 6 Weeks?)
“We all want to be compassionate and help people in need,” NC Family Policy Council’s Jere Royall told Senate Rules Committee members on Thursday regarding H.B. 563, which aims to legalize medical marijuana. “We appreciate the overall effort of this bill to address the availability of substances that are harmful to children and adults. We agree with making Kratom and tianeptine, referred to as ‘gas station heroin,’ illegal to manufacture, sell or possess. However, adding the legalization of marijuana’s medicine to this bill is contrary to the positions stated for years by the Food and Drug Administration, the American Academy of Neurology, and the American Medical Association.”
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