I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2843 
To decriminalize marijuana, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 20, 2019 
Mr. JEFFRIES (for himself, Ms. LEE of California, Mr. BLUMENAUER, Ms. 
NORTON, Ms. SCHAKOWSKY, Mr. COHEN, Miss RICE of New York, Mr. 
CA´RDENAS, Mr. HUFFMAN, Mr. ESPAILLAT, Ms. CLARKE of New York, 
Mr. RUSH, Mr. POCAN, Ms. GABBARD, Ms. TLAIB, Mr. JOHNSON of 
Georgia, Mr. HASTINGS, Mr. SERRANO, Mr. PERLMUTTER, Mr. TRONE, 
Mr. LOWENTHAL, Ms. HAALAND, Mr. RASKIN, Ms. JAYAPAL, Mr. 
MCGOVERN, Ms. CLARK of Massachusetts, Mr. CRIST, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. 
CORREA, Mr. ENGEL, Mr. SOTO, Mr. GRIJALVA, and Mr. TED LIEU of 
California) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on 
the Judiciary, Natural Resources, Agriculture, Transportation and Infra-
structure, and Small Business, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To decriminalize marijuana, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Marijuana Freedom 
and Opportunity Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DECRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA. 
(a) MARIHUANA REMOVED FROM SCHEDULE
OF 
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES.—Subsection (c) of schedule 
I of section 202(c) of the Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 812) is amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘marihuana’’; and 
(2) by striking ‘‘tetrahydrocannabinols’’. 
(b) REMOVAL OF PROHIBITION ON IMPORT AND EX-
PORT.—Section 1010(b) of the Controlled Substances Im-
port and Export Act (21 U.S.C. 960) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (1)— 
(A) in subparagraph (F), by inserting ‘‘or’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) by striking subparagraph (G); and 
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (H) as 
subparagraph (G); 
(2) in paragraph (2)— 
(A) in subparagraph (F), by inserting ‘‘or’’ 
after the semicolon; 
(B) by striking subparagraph (G); and 
(C) by redesignating subparagraph (H) as 
subparagraph (G); 
(3) in paragraph (3), by striking ‘‘paragraphs 
(1), (2), and (4)’’ and inserting ‘‘paragraphs (1) and 
(2)’’; 
(4) by striking paragraph (4); and 
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(5) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), and 
(7) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respectively. 
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS
TO CONTROLLED 
SUBSTANCES ACT.—The Controlled Substances Act (21 
U.S.C. 801 et seq.) is amended— 
(1) in section 102(44) (21 U.S.C. 802(44)), by 
striking ‘‘marihuana,’’; 
(2) in section 401(b) (21 U.S.C. 841(b))— 
(A) in paragraph (1)— 
(i) in subparagraph (A)— 
(I) in clause (vi), by inserting 
‘‘or’’ after the semicolon; 
(II) by striking (vii); and 
(III) 
by 
redesignating 
clause 
(viii) as clause (vii); 
(ii) in subparagraph (B)— 
(I) by striking clause (vii); and 
(II) by redesignating clause (viii) 
as clause (vii); 
(iii) in subparagraph (C), in the first 
sentence, by striking ‘‘subparagraphs (A), 
(B), and (D)’’ and inserting ‘‘subpara-
graphs (A) and (B)’’; 
(iv) by striking subparagraph (D); 
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(v) by redesignating subparagraph (E) 
as subparagraph (D); and 
(vi) in subparagraph (D)(i), as so re-
designated, by striking ‘‘subparagraphs (C) 
and (D)’’ and inserting ‘‘subparagraph 
(C)’’; 
(B) by striking paragraph (4); and 
(C) by redesignating paragraphs (5), (6), 
and (7) as paragraphs (4), (5), and (6), respec-
tively; 
(3) 
in 
section 
402(c)(2)(B) 
(21 
U.S.C. 
842(c)(2)(B)), by striking ‘‘, marihuana,’’; 
(4) in section 403(d)(1) (21 U.S.C. 843(d)(1)), 
by striking ‘‘, marihuana,’’; 
(5) in section 418(a) (21 U.S.C. 859(a)), by 
striking the last sentence; 
(6) in section 419(a) (21 U.S.C. 860(a)), by 
striking the last sentence; 
(7) in section 422(d) (21 U.S.C. 863(d))— 
(A) in the matter preceding paragraph (1), 
by striking ‘‘marijuana,’’; and 
(B) in paragraph (5), by striking ‘‘, such 
as a marihuana cigarette,’’; and 
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(8) in section 516(d) (21 U.S.C. 886(d)), by 
striking ‘‘section 401(b)(6)’’ each place the term ap-
pears and inserting ‘‘section 401(b)(5)’’. 
(d) OTHER CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) NATIONAL FOREST SYSTEM DRUG CONTROL 
ACT OF 1986.—The National Forest System Drug 
Control Act of 1986 (16 U.S.C. 559b et seq.) is 
amended— 
(A) in section 15002(a) (16 U.S.C. 
559b(a)) by striking ‘‘marijuana and other’’; 
(B) in section 15003(2) (16 U.S.C. 
559c(2)) by striking ‘‘marijuana and other’’; 
and 
(C) in section 15004(2) (16 U.S.C. 
559d(2)) by striking ‘‘marijuana and other’’. 
(2) INTERCEPTION OF COMMUNICATIONS.—Sec-
tion 2516 of title 18, United States Code, is amend-
ed— 
(A) in subsection (1)(e), by striking ‘‘mari-
huana,’’; and 
(B) in subsection (2) by striking ‘‘mari-
huana,’’. 
SEC. 3. LEVEL THE ECONOMIC PLAYING FIELD. 
(a) ESTIMATE.—On an annual basis, the Secretary 
of the Treasury shall make a reasonable estimate of total 
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tax revenue generated by the marijuana industry for the 
previous 12-month period. 
(b) TRANSFER.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall 
transfer from the general fund of the Treasury to the trust 
fund established under subsection (c) the greater of— 
(1) an amount equal to 10 percent of the 
amount estimated under subsection (a); and 
(2) $10,000,000. 
(c) TRUST FUND.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—There is established in the 
Treasury of the United States a trust fund to be 
known as the Marijuana Opportunity Trust Fund, 
which shall consist of amounts transferred under 
subsection (b). 
(2) USE OF AMOUNTS.—Amounts in the trust 
fund established under paragraph (1) shall be made 
available to the Administrator of the Small Business 
Administration to provide loans under section 7(m) 
of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(m)) to as-
sist— 
(A) small business concerns owned and 
controlled by women, as defined in section 3 of 
that Act (15 U.S.C. 632), that operate in the 
marijuana industry; and 
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(B) small business concerns owned and 
controlled by socially and economically dis-
advantaged individuals, as defined in section 
8(d)(3)(C) 
of 
that 
Act 
(15 
U.S.C. 
637(d)(3)(C)), that operate in the marijuana 
industry. 
SEC. 4. HIGHWAY SAFETY RESEARCH. 
(a) STUDY; DEVELOPMENT.—The Administrator of 
the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (re-
ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Administrator’’) shall— 
(1) carry out a study of the impact of driving 
under the influence of tetrahydrocannabinol on high-
way safety; and 
(2) develop enhanced strategies and procedures 
to reliably determine the impairment of a driver 
under the influence of tetrahydrocannabinol. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There is 
authorized to be appropriated to the Administrator to 
carry out this section $50,000,000 for each of fiscal years 
2020 through 2024. 
SEC. 5. PUBLIC HEALTH RESEARCH. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services, in consultation with the Director of the 
National Institutes of Health and the Commissioner of 
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Food and Drugs, shall conduct research on the impacts 
of marijuana, including— 
(1) effects of tetrahydrocannabinol on the 
human brain; 
(2) efficacy of medicinal marijuana as a treat-
ment for specific diseases and conditions; and 
(3) identification of additional medical benefits 
and uses of cannabis. 
(b) AUTHORIZATION
OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 
are authorized to be appropriated to the Secretary of 
Health and Human Services, $100,000,000 for each of fis-
cal years 2020 through 2024, for purposes of carrying out 
the activities described in subsection (a). 
SEC. 6. PROTECT KIDS. 
The Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau of 
the Department of the Treasury shall promulgate regula-
tions that— 
(1) require restrictions on the advertising and 
promotion of products related to marijuana, if the 
Secretary determines that such regulation would be 
appropriate for the protection of the public health, 
taking into account— 
(A) the risks and benefits to the popu-
lation of individuals age 18 and under, includ-
ing users and nonusers of marijuana products; 
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(B) the increased or decreased likelihood 
that existing users of marijuana products who 
are age 18 and under will stop using such prod-
ucts; and 
(C) the increased or decreased likelihood 
that those age 18 and under who do not use 
marijuana products will start using such prod-
ucts; and 
(2) impose restrictions on the advertising and 
promotion of products related to marijuana con-
sistent with and to the full extent permitted by the 
First Amendment to the Constitution of the United 
States. 
SEC. 7. GRANTS FOR EXPUNGEMENT OF MARIJUANA CON-
VICTIONS. 
There is authorized to be appropriated to the Attor-
ney General to award grants to States and units of local 
government for the purpose of administering, expanding, 
or developing expungement or sealing programs for convic-
tions of possession of marijuana $20,000,000 for each of 
fiscal years 2020 through 2024 with not less than 50 per-
cent of those funds being directed to cover the cost of pub-
lic defenders or legal aid providers. 
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SEC. 8. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 
Nothing in this Act, or an amendment made by this 
Act, may be construed to modify the authority of the Fed-
eral Government to prevent marijuana trafficking from 
States that have legalized marijuana to those that have 
not. 
Æ 
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