House passes bill to decriminalize marijuana

The House on Friday passed legislation aimed at abolishing criminal penalties for those who distribute or possess marijuana in a 220-204 vote.

The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act previously passed the lower chamber last year but did not see movement in the Senate. The legislation includes language to impose a federal tax on marijuana sales, expunge marijuana-related convictions from individuals’ records, and remove it from the federal list of controlled substances.