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The House Rules Committee is meeting to discuss the MORE Act now. Follow along:
Rep. Woodall says he opposes the MORE Act, but when state and federal law are in conflict, it's important for the House to work through that.
"These are hard issues to legislate," he says. "Refusing to hear this bill is a flaw in our system."
"These are hard issues to legislate," he says. "Refusing to hear this bill is a flaw in our system."
Watching members of Congress telling each other to unmute will never get old.
Rep. Woodall asks why child protections — ie, banning flavored THC vapes — isn't in the bill.
Rep. Lee says the bill is about rescheduling and removing criminal penalties at the federal level — that's it.
"This does not negate any medical oversight," she adds.
"Most of the vaping deaths in children come from the unregulated market.. using nicotine," Rep. Lee says.
Adds that regulated markets reduce that risk.
She notes expungement is court-supervised.
Rep. Shalala said she ran the legal marijuana farm in Mississippi when she was at HHS. "I may be only person here who has had a farm under their jurisdiction."
"Marijuana is still a drug," she says. Adds we still don't understand long term health and cognitive effects.
Freeing up research is a key piece of the MORE Act.
Freeing up research is a key piece of the MORE Act.
"We believe the MORE Act will open the door to researchers and research grants," Rep. Lee says.
Rep. Lee says research has shown marijuana is not a gateway drug.
@RepMcGovern: "When people ask me about systemic racism, I point to our nation's drug laws... that's statistical fact."
@repblumenauer says "we are ceding innovation in this industry to Israel and Canada."
"I'll resist the temptation to go on and on," he says.
@RepPerlmutter says the Senate is "scared of their shadows" on this issue.
"It's pretty frustrating because America is so far ahead of Congress on this subject."
"It's pretty frustrating because America is so far ahead of Congress on this subject."
And that's that. The House floor vote will be on Friday, per @LeaderHoyer's office.
