IndustryDevelopments | International & State MAP LEGEND High level of medical development/implementation Medium level of medical development/implementation Low level of medical development/implementation Other - federally illegal but unique circumstances Recreational Countries included have passed legislation at the federal level and must fulfill at least one of the following criteria: * Cultivation, manufacture or sale of medical and/or recreational cannabis allowed. * Doctors can prescribe medical cannabis. * Import and/or export of medical cannabis allowed. High: Countries at the forefront of the global industry. Frameworks are established, and adoption is well underway. Medium: Implementation has begun but is still limited or restricted; lots of room for the market to develop. Low: Legislation has been passed, but implementation is very limited or nonexistent. Decriminalization is not included. National & International News U.S. House Passes MORE Act The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act and end the federal government's decades-old prohibition on the plant. Lawmakers in effect voted to legalize marijuana by approving the social justice-focused Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act by a margin of 228-164 after an hour of debate. In the likely event that the MORE Act dies in the Senate during the current legislative session, it would have to start over in the House in January, when the new Congress convenes. 24 Marijuana Business Magazine | January 2021 Even with a new Congress, the more conservative Senate might be resistant to such a major change in federal marijuana policy. Opponents of the MORE Act criticized Democrats for prioritizing marijuana during the coronavirus crisis and voiced concerns about health risks for youth. United Nations Approves WHO Recommendation to Reschedule Cannabis The United Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs (CND) accepted a recommendation by the World Health Organization to remove cannabis and cannabis resin from Schedule IV of the 1961 Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs.