On September 20, the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability approved the Cannabis Users Restoration of Eligibility (CURE) Act (H.R. 5040) by a vote of 30-14, advancing the bill for consideration by the full House of Representatives. The bipartisan bill, sponsored by Committee ranking member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) and Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC), would prevent prior marijuana use from becoming grounds for being found unsuitable for federal employment or failing to receive security clearance. The bill is also cosponsored by Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR).

“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,” Raskin said in a statement. “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,” Raskin said.

In a release, Rep. Raskin noted 38 states, three territories and the District of Columbia allow the medical use of marijuana, and nearly half of the 50 U.S. states have enacted measures to authorize and regulate marijuana for recreational adult use.