Kamala Harris Introduces Bill to Decriminalize Cannabis at Federal Level

[dropcap class=”kp-dropcap”]O[/dropcap]n July 23, presidential hopeful Sen. Kamala Harris introduced a bill that would decriminalize cannabis at the federal level. The bill, called the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act and include provisions to erase past cannabis-related convictions.

Harris joins Rep. Jerry Nadler, chairman of the House Judiciary Committee, who is also sponsoring the bill. “We need to start regulating marijuana and expunge marijuana convictions from the records of millions of Americans so they can get on with their lives,” Harris said in a statement. “As marijuana becomes legal across the country, we must make sure everyone—especially communities of color that have been disproportionately impacted by the war on drugs—has a real opportunity to participate in this growing industry.”

According to the American Civil Liberties Union, cannabis-related arrest records between 2001 and 2010 indicate that black people are 3.73 times more likely than whites to be arrested for cannabis—despite having similar consumption rates. Harris has had enough of the disparity between cannabis arrest rates.

The bill would include a provision to use 50 percent of federal cannabis taxes to create trust funds for those who were most impacted by the “War on Drugs.” It would also require the Bureau of Labor Statistics to ensure that people of color participate in the cannabis industry.

Critics of Harris, however, point out that she opposed California’s Proposition 19, which would have legalized recreational cannabis. Later, of course, Proposition 64 did just that. As San Francisco District Attorney, Harris helped to facilitate the arrests of countless Californians who were convicted of cannabis-related crimes. While Harris has supported medical cannabis for a long time, her support for recreational cannabis didn’t emerge until recently. Last February, the presidential contender admitted to smoking cannabis during college.

Harris also sponsors Sen. Cory Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act of 2019, which would decriminalize recreational marijuana and investments into the communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. Sen. Harris’ bill, however, would include more provisions to benefit communities of color.