Mary Gay Scanlon: “I thank Representative Perlmutter for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of today's rule. The two bills in…”

“I thank Representative Perlmutter for yielding. Mr. Speaker, I rise in strong support of today's rule. The two bills in the rule provide for important, long overdue reforms that most Americans are in favor of. The MORE Act will reform our Federal drug laws to bring Federal laws in line with the majority of States which are now legally and responsibly regulating cannabis. Mr. Speaker, 37 States, including the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, have successfully legalized medicinal cannabis, creating a thriving, safe, and legal market for cannabis, creating thousands of jobs and billions in new tax revenue. This is a rare win-win scenario for everyone--government, businesses, patients, and consumers. However, the ongoing conflict between our State and Federal laws creates daily legal issues for businesses, banks, doctors, and consumers. The MORE Act will address these problems by removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act. This will allow veterans to use medicinal cannabis without losing their VA benefits. It will allow legal businesses to access financial services. It will allow scientists and government agencies to research cannabis, and it will not prevent States from regulating or even criminalizing misuse of cannabis. More importantly, the MORE Act includes a comprehensive package of criminal justice reforms to give a second chance to those whose lives have been upended by the excesses of the war on drugs. Mr.…”