Rep. Young joins Democrats to pass U.S. marijuana legalization bill

Alaska Rep. Don Young was one of only five Republicans to vote for a bill that would decriminalize marijuana.

The bill passed 228-164 in the House on Friday, but is unlikely to go further before Congress adjourns in early January.

Today, I helped the House pass the most significant #cannabis reform legislation in decades – the #MOREAct. This bill isn’t perfect, but it takes important steps to safeguard our personal liberties and freedom. THREAD: pic.twitter.com/3ey5RcY0VP

— Rep. Don Young (@repdonyoung) December 4, 2020

Young, who does not advocate for marijuana use, is nonetheless co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus.

“I’m a conservative Republican … but I believe in state’s rights,” he said in 2017, when the caucus was announced. (A caucus, in this sense, is a group of like-minded lawmakers who come together to advance a particular issue.) He said the federal government should not overrule the voters in his state.

Alaska and 14 other states have legalized cannabis for recreational use by adults. A majority of states allow it for medical purposes.

Passage of the House bill is a significant milestone for the movement to make…