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The failed War on Drugs has really been a war on people—disproportionately criminalizing poor people, people of color & people with mental illness. I’m reintroducing the #MarijuanaJustice Act to begin reversing our failed federal drug policies. Join us: act.corybooker.com/page/s/justice…
The Marijuana Justice Act doesn’t just end the federal prohibition on marijuana—it also incentivizes states to change their marijuana laws if those laws are being enforced in a way that disproportionately impacts people of color and the poor.
Black people are 3.7 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white peers even though they use marijuana at similar rates. If we truly want to be a fair and just nation we need to correct for this disparate treatment of enforcement practices.
And it’s not enough to just legalize marijuana, we should help those with records for use and possession convictions, and allow people currently in prison for marijuana-related crimes to petition for resentencing, which is why my legislation includes expungement provisions.
A marijuana conviction is often a life sentence—people can’t get jobs or many business licenses, and they can’t get food assistance like SNAP or public housing if it's a felony. The @abaesq found over 45,000 collateral consequences facing formerly incarcerated people.
Finally, my bill includes community reinvestment provisions like job training for areas hardest hit by the failed drug war—to make them more economically vibrant, fair and just. Let’s make marijuana legal but also invest in undoing the damage done by a war gone horribly wrong.
Excited to announce that my Marijuana Justice Act now has strong support in the Senate & House—but we need to build support to make it law. I hope everyone who's in favor of legalization will speak up & become an advocate for a more restorative justice. act.corybooker.com/page/s/justice…
Let’s legalize marijuana at the federal level, push states to do the same, AND help those who have suffered due to its prohibition.
