Showing posts with label Marijuana. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Marijuana. Show all posts

Saturday, December 05, 2020

Rep. Payne, Jr. Votes to Decriminalize Marijuana

Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. voted for the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act today. The bill (H.R. 3884) would decriminalize marijuana nationwide, require federal courts to delete prior marijuana convictions for Americans, and save taxpayers at least $3.6 billion per year.

“This bill is long overdue,” said Congressman Donald M. Payne, Jr. “There are too many Black and Latino men languishing in prison for offenses that are now legal in most states. This bill would right the social and legal wrongs that put them there. In addition, marijuana has been found to help with a variety of medical conditions and even can bring relief to veterans who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. I am proud to support this bill and hope the Senate passes it soon.”

The bill would reverse a drug law that has existed since 1937. Since then, dozens of medical studies have shown that marijuana has significant health benefits when taken in controlled quantities, such as post-surgery and chronic pain relief. In addition, marijuana drug enforcement arrests more minorities and subjects them to longer prison sentences than white offenders for the same crimes. Studies have shown that Blacks are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession and Latinos are almost seven times more likely to receive a federal sentence for it than their white counterparts. Currently, 47 out of the 50 U.S. states have reclassified marijuana and many states have made small amounts legal for recreational use.

marijuana

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Congressional Black Caucus Focuses On Marijuana Legalization At Conference

Over the next two days, the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) Foundation will hold four panels dedicated to marijuana policy as part of the group’s Annual Legislative Conference in Washington, D.C.

The events will feature lawmakers and advocates discussing a wide range of issues related to cannabis, including a look at the future of the industry, access to banking services for marijuana businesses and legislation to end prohibition while promoting social equity.

Rep. Stacey Plaskett (D-VI) will lead the first marijuana panel on Thursday, which is titled “The Future of Cannabis-Hemp in the United States.” Neal Levine, CEO of the Cannabis Trade Federation, will also appear in that group.

“Lawmakers are increasingly recognizing the intersections between our nation’s cannabis policies and other issues, and there is a strong and growing sense that change is needed at the federal level,” Levine told Marijuana Moment. “It touches everything from public safety, to criminal and social justice, to the economy, and the environment.”

“Public attitudes have shifted strongly in favor of ending cannabis prohibition, and its seeming inevitability has inspired members of Congress to take a far more proactive approach on the subject,” he said.

Later in the day, Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA), who is a co-chair of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus, is set to host a panel discussion on the Marijuana Justice Act—legislation that would deschedule cannabis and also penalize states that continue to carry out marijuana enforcement in a discriminatory manner.

Drug Policy Alliance Policy Coordinator Queen Adesuyi and Center for American Progress Senior Policy Analyst Maritza Perez will participate.

“We are excited about being part of such important conversations taking place around equity and the need for reforming our marijuana laws,” Perez told Marijuana Moment. “It’s clear that public sentiment is moving toward marijuana legalization and that people and lawmakers alike recognize that we must start by repairing the harm the war on drugs brought to low-income communities of color.”

“Congress has the historic opportunity to address this harm by bringing the MORE Act to a floor vote this fall,” she said, referencing a legalization bill sponsored by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY).

Adesuyi told Marijuana Moment that the volume of cannabis-focused panels is “yet another promising and historic signal of the ever increasing support for substantive cannabis reform for key members of the CBC and Congress broadly, as we work to get the most comprehensive bill [the MORE Act] ending cannabis prohibition to be introduced in Congress passed this year.”

“This year’s Annual Legislative Conference takes on special meaning as we mark the 400th anniversary of enslaved Africans arriving on our shores,” Lee said in a press release. “I’m excited to gather with my colleagues from around the country to address the most pressing issues in the African American community—ranging from the legacy of the failed War on Drugs to health disparities facing our friends and families.”

On Friday, Gia Moron, president of Women Grow, is scheduled to discuss cannabis and banking at another event.

The chair of CBC, Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA), will hold a two-hour panel titled “Social Equity in Marijuana Legalization,” another indicator that as Congress takes cannabis legislation back up after returning from recess, CBC members are likely to emphasize equity and restorative justice in any legislative attempts to legalize cannabis.

CBC has been a leader in promoting marijuana reform and pushing the conversation forward as it concerns racial disparities in cannabis enforcement under prohibition. The organization’s 2018 conference included two panels that also looked at social equity issues, as well as civil engagement related to marijuana.

In a policy statement released last year, CBC called for cannabis decriminalization and automatic expungements for those with prior marijuana misdemeanor convictions, noting that people “should not have to suffer today for previously illegal behavior that is now allowable in their community.”

Ending cannabis prohibition was also included in the group’s list of “must-do” policy proposals the caucus published in advance of last year’s elections that it said the House should pursue within 100 days if Democrats reclaimed the chamber.

f t # e Tags: Diversity

Wednesday, January 30, 2019

Baltimore State Marilyn Mosby: Baltimore will stop prosecuting marijuana possession,

Baltimore State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby announced Tuesday her office would cease prosecuting people for possessing marijuana regardless of the quantity or the person’s criminal history.

Calling the move monumental for justice in Baltimore, Mosby also requested the courts vacate convictions in nearly 5,000 cases of marijuana possession.

Monday, August 27, 2018

America's black community has been excluded from profiting from Legalization of Marijuana

As more US states decriminalize the drug for medicinal or recreational use, America's black community has been excluded from profiting from the lucrative trade. Listen to more on this below. There is a brief 30 second commercial that is part of the recording if you wish to fast forward passed that. [SOURCE: FINANCIAL TIMES]