A group of lawmakers in Rhode Island is rallying behind a set of key equity principles they want to see in marijuana legalization legislation—and they’re urging colleagues to convene a special session to see their vision through. The idea of a special session this fall has already been floated by legislative leaders, and negotiators have been meeting throughout the summer to resolve differences between competing legalization bills in the House and Senate, as well as a separate proposal from Gov. Daniel McKee (D). Several lawmakers and progressive activists with Reclaim Rhode Island say, as currently drafted, the measures do not do enough to repair the harms of the drug war and promote social equity. The organization held a press conference outside of the State House on Wednesday to draw attention to their reform agenda, with legislators speaking in favor of tackling legalization comprehensively and quickly during a special session. Rep. Leonela Felix (D) was among those who spoke on Wednesday, stating that “if we chose to legalize cannabis in Rhode Island without full restorative justice for the black, brown and low-income Rhode Islanders who are targeted and imprisoned because of the racist war on drug policy, we have failed.”
Kyle Jaeger, Marijuana Moment, 09/09/2021 11:39:00