House passes legislation decriminalizing marijuana at federal level

WASHINGTON (KION) The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to pass legislation decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level.

According to Rep. Stephanie Murphy, the legislation also gives states flexibility to enact laws based on the views of the residents.

This is the first time that national decriminalization has been considered by the full chamber, but it is expected to have little chance of passing in the Senate.

The legislation, called the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and eliminate criminal penalties for people who manufacture, distribute or possess it. It would also create a process for removing prior convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings for federal offenses.

This is a developing story.