The Marijuana Justice Act would End the Prohibition of Cannabis
Today Senator Cory Booker introduced legislation that would end the federal prohibition of cannabis. The proposal would also undo some of the damage that has been done by the “War on Drugs.” Cannabis has been illegal in the United States for 80 years out of the nation’s 241-year history. Should cannabis be legalized on a federal level, cannabis could return to the pharmacy shelves where it was once sold, without federal repercussion.
The Marijuana Justice Act would remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, cut funding for cannabis enforcement and prison construction, allow entities to sue states over disproportionate arrest rates, prevent deportations, expunge records and provide resentencing for federal cannabis charges.
Booker indicated that the retroactive changes to the criminal justice system are paramount to his bill proposal. “Descheduling marijuana and applying that change retroactively to people currently serving time for marijuana offenses is a necessary step in correcting this unjust system. States have so far led the way in reforming our criminal justice system and it’s about time the federal government catches up and begins to assert leadership,” Sen. Booker said in a statement obtained by CULTURE from Communications Director Thomas Pietrykoski.
The proposal would also create a $500 million “Community Reinvestment Fund” in communities that have seen the most devastation from the “War on Drugs.” TIME Magazine called the proposal a “longshot,” given the bill’s ambitious goals, and the changes happening in the White House.
Cory Booker has supported cannabis reform from the get-go, including his co-sponsorship of the Compassionate Access, Research Expansion, and Respect States (CARERS) Act, which provides federal protection for medical cannabis patients. The CARERS Act was re-introduced in June. Booker is wasting no time getting the word out about the piece of legislation. Booker posted a video introducing the bill via Facebook Live.
Booker’s attempt to legalize cannabis is the latest bill proposal to legalize cannabis on a federal level. Bernie Sanders, Sen. Ron Wyden and Rep. Earl Blumenauer, are just a few of the American lawmakers that have recently attempted to legalize cannabis.
