A group of more than 20 criminal justice, civil rights, drug policy, labor, and advocacy organizations are urging Congress to vote on marijuana reform legislation. The groups, which included the American Civil Liberties Union, American Civil Liberties Union, National Urban League, Doctors for Cannabis Regulation, and others, asked in a Tuesday letter to Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD) that the House vote on the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act of 2021 this month. The legislation, the organizations said, would end federal marijuana prohibition, address the consequences of federal marijuana criminalization, and take steps to ensure a diverse and inclusive marijuana marketplace. Mass criminalization and over-enforcement of drug law violations have devastated the social and economic fabrics of entire communities while also tearing apart the lives of millions of individuals and families. And while Black, Latino, and Indigenous people have carried the brunt of marijuana criminalization, they have been shut out of the regulated marijuana marketplace due to these very same criminal records in addition to financial barriers to entry,” the groups wrote. “The MORE Act seeks to solve these problems through a comprehensive approach.”
Cannabis Law Report, 03/03/2022 22:33:00