WASHINGTON, DC – Today, Congressman Jamie Raskin’s (MD-08) bipartisan Cannabis Users Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act, co-led by Congresswoman Nancy Mace (SC-01), passed through the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability. The legislation would prevent prior marijuana use from becoming grounds for being found unsuitable for federal employment or failing to receive security clearance. The CURE Act will also allow for someone who has previously been denied a security clearance or a federal job opportunity based on marijuana use the chance to have that denial reviewed.
“The bipartisan passage of the CURE Act through the Oversight Committee moves the federal government towards recognizing the widely established legal use of medical and recreational cannabis,” said Rep. Raskin. “The CURE Act will ensure that talented individuals seeking to honorably serve our country are not precluded from doing so simply because they admit to having once used marijuana. I’m grateful to Chair Comer, Congresswoman Mace and my colleagues on the House Oversight Committee for supporting these important reforms.”
Despite the rapid pace at which marijuana is being legalized, qualified and dedicated Americans can be denied security clearances and lose out on federal employment if they admit to using marijuana in a lawful way. As of April 24, 2023, 38 states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of marijuana, and as of June 1, 2023, 23 states, two territories and the District of Columbia have enacted measures to authorize and regulate marijuana for recreational adult use. Last fall, President Biden also announced a blanket pardon to people convicted of simple possession of marijuana under federal law and the Department of Health and Human Services has recommended marijuana be rescheduled under the Controlled Substances Act from a Schedule I controlled substance to a Schedule III controlled substance.
The CURE Act is endorsed by the Due Process Institute, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP), the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) and the US Cannabis Council.
###