This article by William Gavin is published by Open Secrets. Here is an excerpt:

The marijuana and cannabis industry spent over $4.2 million lobbying on a variety of issues and legislation in 2021, including the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2021 that was passed by the House of Representatives Friday. The MORE Act would remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances, create a tax on cannabis products and establish a trust fund to support communities impacted by the war on drugs. 

“These programs would provide services to individuals: including job training, reentry services and substance use disorder services, and would provide funds for loans to assist small businesses owned and controlled by socially and economically disadvantaged individuals,” Rep. Jerry Nadler (D-N.Y.), the sponsor of the MORE Act, said during the House Rules Committee meeting last week. “This legislation would also provide resources for programs that minimize barriers to marijuana licensing and employment for individuals adversely affected by the war on drugs.”

Currently, 37 states, four territories and the District of Columbia have legalized medical marijuana while at least 15 states and the District of Columbia have legalized recreational marijuna. If the MORE Act is signed into law, states would not be required to adopt legalization legislation and would maintain a degree of regulatory oversight.  

Read the full article here. Also, visit the main Democracy Chronicles section on American Democracy, our section on Money Politics, or our articles on Political Lobbying.