The House of Representatives has voted to legalize marijuana on a federal level. This is the first time that a body of Congress has voted on the matter. They voted on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act, which aims to erase the records of those who have been charged before for possession of marijuana. The legislation would also impose a tax on marijuana products. The tax would then fund programs that would help people, communities, and businesses that have been affected by the war on drugs.

The legislation received a 228-164 vote will now advance to Senate. Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is the bill’s sponsor, said that the proposed law would correct the mistake of criminalizing marijuana use. “This long-overdue legislation would reverse the failed policy of criminalizing marijuana on the federal level and would take steps to address the heavy toll this policy has taken across the country, particularly on communities of color,” Nadler said.

The law would legalize marijuana on the federal level, but it also allows the individual states to pass their own regulations. Rep. Matt Gaetz was one of the few Republicans who voted in favor of the bill, and he said that the law is needed because the current federal law restricts the policies of the states. “If we were measuring the success in the ‘war on drugs,’ it would be hard to conclude anything other than the fact that drugs have won,” Gaetz said.

Before the law was passed, the House minority attempted to add language to the legislation that would permit employers to test their employees for drugs.

Republicans and even some Democrats have criticized the push for the legislation. Rep. Conor Lamb, a moderate Democrat, voiced his concern over Twitter. “Thanks @Sen_JoeManchin & others for not giving up on a bipartisan breakthrough. We should be working every minute to get a deal done & get money to people who need it,” he posted online.

“Instead, the House is voting on a piecemeal marijuana bill that won’t become law?” Conor added.