The legalization of marijuana has taken another step forward in the United States!
Marijuana in the United States of America is one step closer to becoming fully legalized across the country. While it’s just a step, it’s still a positive step forward and one that can’t be ignored. If you have been considering a career in an up-and-coming industry, then the cannabis industry is well and truly open for business.
The cannabis industry is in a continual state of flux due to its current legal standing. While some states have legalized recreational and medicinal sales of marijuana, others have not. In addition, at a federal level, marijuana is still considered a Schedule I Narcotic by the DEA. This makes it extremely difficult for cannabis companies in the United States to conduct business outside of their state.
In the following article, we’re going to take a closer look at what passing the MORE Act means for the cannabis industry as a whole and what’s going to happen next.
One of the great things about the cannabis industry is the vast amount of positions available. Many positions in the cannabis industry aren’t even associated directly with the product itself. In accounting, management, shipping, distribution, security, IT, social media, and marketing, the number of jobs available is endless and abundant.
If you have been looking to gain employment in the cannabis industry, then you won’t find a better place to do it than The Cannabis Job Board. Finding work in the cannabis industry doesn’t have to be complicated. With The Cannabis Job Board, you’ll be able to upload your resume, create an account, and get hired in the cannabis industry. It’s that simple!
Federally Legal Cannabis Is One Step Closer In the United States
The House of Representatives has just passed a bill that opens the door for marijuana to be decriminalized at a federal level across the United States. The next step in the process is for the bill to move to the Senate. Democrats in the Senate are already working to introduce their own marijuana legalization bill.
The list of states that have legalized recreational and medical marijuana is growing every year. Moreover, it’s a move that has been widely supported across the United States. A poll conducted by Pew Research in April 2021 found that almost 91% of adults in the United States believed that marijuana should be legal at a federal level for either medicinal or recreational access.
Despite the vote being passed in the House of Representatives, there are still some hurdles that it has to overcome in the Senate.
What Is the MORE Act, and Can It Open the Door to Federally Legal Marijuana?
As of the time of writing, there are thirty-seven states in America that have legalized marijuana for medicinal use and eighteen which have legalized it for both recreational and medicinal use by adults.
However, because marijuana is still illegal at a federal level, it makes doing business challenging for cannabis companies. As well as being banned from accessing some traditional financial institutions, and money lending methods such as business loans and grants, the cannabis business also has significant logistical challenges.
Recently, the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE). Among other things, the new bill would remove any criminal penalties for those who make, possess, or distribute marijuana. It would also remove marijuana from the list of Schedule I substances.
If the MORE Act were to be passed by the Senate and then signed into law, it could also give anyone with prior marijuana convictions in the United States the opportunity to have a fresh start.
The courts would be required to clear any prior marijuana-related convictions from people’s criminal records and also resentence anyone who was currently serving sentences for marijuana convictions. In addition, the MORE Act would allow anyone who had been convicted of marijuana offenses to receive public benefits.
The new MORE Act wouldn’t just stop with decriminalization. It would also generate money that would support communities in the most need by imposing a federal tax on all marijuana sales. Funds from the federal tax would go towards legal counseling for communities negatively affected by the war on drugs and also substance misuse treatment programs.
How much money could the MORE Act generate for the federal government? A lot. California was one of the very first states to legalize marijuana medicinally and recreationally. Estimates put Californian tax revenue from marijuana sales to be close to $1 billion in revenue.
Many people that support the legalization of marijuana in the United States argue that the criminalization is racially biased and unfairly targets minority or low-income communities. Not only that, but it’s also an extremely costly burden on the justice system, goes against public sentiment, and is adding to overcrowding in the judicial system and jails across the country.
According to the ACLU, black Americans are much more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession compared to white Americans. This is even though usage rates are similar between the two groups.
What Will the Senate Do?
After the House of Representatives passed the MORE Act, its next step in its journey was to go before the Senate. The MORE Act would need the support of every Democrat representative in the Senate, as well as ten GOP votes for it to be passed and ultimately signed into law. With it only receiving the support of three Republican votes in the House of Representatives, it could be extremely hard work in the Senate.
Some experts are already predicting that the MORE Act won’t make it through the Senate. This could be partly due to the fact that Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) is trying to get his own marijuana legalization bill passed, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA).
Regardless of whether or not the MORE Act gets passed, it is a positive step forward towards uniform legislation at a federal level in the United States. For too long, cannabis has been the whipping boy for racism, stemming back to when it was initially banned in 1937 and used as a tool to punish minority communities in the USA.
The MORE Act is a good example of how people in the United States, politicians, and lawmakers feel about marijuana in general. Another cannabis-related law that has also been proposed is the SAFE Banking Act. This Act, if passed into law, would allow cannabis businesses across the United States to access and utilize bank accounts.
Currently, many marijuana businesses rely on a largely cash model of trade. Unfortunately, all of this cash has led them vulnerable to robbery. With the threat of robbery high for many cannabis businesses, they’re forced to employ higher than usual amounts of security at dispensaries, warehouses, and on distribution and transportation routes. The SAFE Banking Act has passed through the House of Representatives six times already but hasn’t made it through the Senate.
What Employment Opportunities Does the Cannabis Industry Offer?
As a rapidly growing industry, the cannabis industry in the United States offers many unique and exciting career options to anyone willing to work hard. The best part about it, as a new industry, many cannabis businesses are eager to take a chance on employees with limited industry experience.
Unlike established industries, the cannabis industry in the United States of America has only existed for roughly two decades, and it’s only over the last five to ten years that it has genuinely exploded with growth.
This growth in the industry has led to expansion. Every time a new state votes to change its laws on recreational or medicinal marijuana, new opportunities arise for employment. Many of these opportunities in the cannabis industry are a great way to start a new career or transition an existing career into a growing and thriving industry.
If handling cannabis or cannabis products isn’t something you would feel comfortable with, you’re in luck because the cannabis industry is full of great career opportunities that have nothing to do with the product itself.
Cannabis, like any product, needs an entire industry built up around it to get it from a seed to sale. It starts with cultivation and breeding. Then moves into harvesting and processing—distribution and shipping from the cultivation to the point of sale and also other points of sale.
All of this requires administration, accounting, marketing, and management services. The cannabis industry is growing at a rapid pace and finding people with cannabis distribution experience isn’t easy. However, finding someone with relevant experience in an alternative industry is possible.
Even if you don’t have any experience, there are opportunities. Various training providers are now offering courses tailored specifically to the cannabis industry. It’s an excellent opportunity to enter an exciting new industry that’s only just getting started.
If you have been looking to gain employment in the cannabis industry, then you won’t find a better place to do it than The Cannabis Job Board. Finding work in the cannabis industry doesn’t have to be complicated. With The Cannabis Job Board, you’ll be able to upload your resume, create an account, and get hired in the cannabis industry. It’s that simple!
House Passes Historic Marijuana Legalization Bill – Conclusion
Any move toward the federal legalization of marijuana in the United States is a positive one. However, regardless of the following steps, cannabis companies and cannabis users across the United States can remain hopeful that cannabis in the USA is moving towards full legalization.
Full legalization of cannabis in the United States means that, finally, marijuana could be managed under one legalized federal umbrella. The latest legislation passed by the House would completely legalize marijuana nationwide, totally eliminating criminal penalties for anyone who distributes, manufacturers, or possesses the substance.
Cannabis industry jobs have been growing at an incredible pace, even with the current financial restraints that we’re experiencing across the country.
If you have been looking to gain employment in the cannabis industry, then you won’t find a better place to do it than The Cannabis Job Board. Finding work in the cannabis industry doesn’t have to be complicated. With The Cannabis Job Board, you’ll be able to upload your resume, create an account, and get hired in the cannabis industry. It’s that simple!
The Cannabis Job Board is here to help you find your career path in the cannabis industry. If you have any questions about how The Cannabis Job Board works or would like to learn more, please don’t hesitate to reach out and email us directly! Our friendly and professional team is always happy to assist you, and we’re also available via phone at +1 323-986-6166.