Congressman Jerry Nadler (D-Ny) Ahead of the House’s Historic Vote on a Bipartisan Bill that Would Decriminalize Marijuana at the Federal Level, Leaving It to the States to Regulate Marijuana.

It’s about time.

• ABOUT: The House bill would (1) remove marijuana from the list of federally controlled substances, (2) authorize a sales tax on marijuana products, and (3) allow for federal courts to expunge prior marijuana convictions.
• BIG PICTURE: Today, medical marijuana is legal in all but 17 states. 11 states and DC have legalized recreational marijuana, and 16 states have decriminalized possession of small amounts, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
• WHAT’S NEXT: Rep. Nadler told USA TODAY that the bill will likely receive unanimous support in the Democrat-controlled House when it votes later this month, but its fate in Republican-controlled Senate appears far less certain, with one Republican spokesperson telling USA TODAY there’s “no plan” to move ahead on the bill.