House version of the Marijuana Justice Act is introduced by Lee and Khana
Last year, Sen. Cory Booker put into place something called The Marijuana Justice Act. Cannabis prohibition and the prejudiced implementation of cannabis criminalization laws in the United States were to be lifted in this legislation, of which was further solidified on January 17, 2018, when the House version was welcomed by Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA).
“This bill is really an essential step in correcting the injustices of the war on drugs. This legislation will end this destructive war on drugs. Here on the first day, we have 12 co-signers, which is really remarkable,” said Rep. Barbara Lee, D-California.
The Senate version was introduced by Booker in August. Cannabis falls under the Controlled Substances Act (CSA), meaning that it is classified the same as harder narcotics, such LSD and heroin.
What is the purpose of the Marijuana Justice Act?
Booker’s bill eliminates federal interference, thus removing the federal illegality that is currently impacting cannabis regulation.
Although cannabis will not be declared legal statewide, U.S. states will have the freedom of regulating cannabis systems and rectifying problems caused for people who have been formerly hurt by cannabis laws.
People of color stand to be positively affected by the new laws, as do low-income individuals, due to the fact these groups of people tend to carry a higher risk of committing cannabis-related crimes.
According to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), black Americans have been almost four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than whites.
Federal money will now be poured into the states where these groups of people are most-affected, in a bid to prompt a change in cannabis rules and regulations.
“It’s the reverse of the 1994 crime bill. It creates incentives for states to change their marijuana laws,” Booker told reporters.
Anyone who has committed a cannabis-related conviction will also benefit from the House version of the Marijuana Justice Act, since convicts may gain the opportunity to have their convictions overthrown. Cases must go in front of a judge for this to happen.
Goals of the House version of the Marijuana Justice Act
The revised version of the Marijuana Justice Act provides a reinvestment fund that will cover the following things:
- Reduce federal funding for prison construction and state law enforcement if people of color or low-income people are arrested/incarcerated by the state for cannabis offenses
- Enable entities to take legal action towards states that have arrested/incarcerated people of color/low-income people for cannabis offenses
- Develop a “Community Reinvestment Fund” of $500 million to build community centres and provide job training in communities that have been affected by the war on drugs
- Stop people from being deported for cannabis-related offenses
- Offer an expungement process for cannabis offenses at federal level
- Offer a resentencing process for cannabis offenses at federal level
Khanna hopes that the House version of the bill will “force a national conversation on this issue.”
Will the House version reverse damage caused by the Trump Administration?
After the Trump Administration put unjust cannabis policies into place, it has been difficult for certain convicts to start a new life and move on from the devastation caused by the war on drugs. Nevertheless, low-income communities where there is a big concentration of people of color will be revived under the House version of the Marijuana Justice Act.
“It is a bold proposal to reverse decades of discriminatory drug enforcement and to bring federal marijuana policy in line with the wishes of the American people,” said Reps. Barbara Lee, who spoke with reporters about providing communities with “restorative justice.”
Although the latest bill proves to be positive in most aspects, anti-cannabis laws may still be enforced under the Trump administration. A total of 12 Democrats currently co-sponsor the House bill, but the Senate or House bill has not yet been signed onto by Republicans.
