The U.S. House passed the MORE Act to decriminalize marijuana and allow states to set their own policies on pot, but many Republicans opposed it.

RELATED: Marijuana: Why the drug became illegal, and the future of legalization https://bit.ly/3DzYptm

Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have weighed the possibility of decriminalizing marijuana for years, with some launching ambitious legislation to reduce criminal penalties for possession, levy taxes on and monitor the sale and distribution of the drug. But dozens of bills introduced since the 1970s have yet to become law.

Advocates hope this time will be different. The Democratic-controlled House Friday passed the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act by a 220-204 vote that fell almost entirely along party lines. The measure not only would decriminalize the substance, it also would impose an excise tax on cannabis products made in or imported into the U.S. as well as levy an occupational tax on production facilities and export warehouse.

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