During a congressional hearing on Wednesday regarding the Justice in Policing Act, California Representative Lou Correa suggested that police reform should go hand-in-hand with ending marijuana criminalization in order to address racial injustice.
Calls for social justice have moved to the forefront of America's consciousness over the past month as the country witnessed, once again, the murder of an unarmed African American at the hands of police. Protests have engulfed the land (and the world) with tens of thousands calling for the end to systemic racism and social injustice.
According to Marijuana Moment, the congressman delivered a speech discussing the connection between cannabis prohibition and the racial justice that the policing bill is designed to address.
As you know, when we talk about arrest disparities, specifically cannabis-related, over 650,000 Americans are arrested every year for violating cannabis laws. And according to the ACLU, in every single state, black folks are more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, and in some states, 10x more likely than others.
Congressman Lou Correa, California
The Justice in Policing Act does not have any regulations that specifically deal with cannabis, however it bans no-knock warrants in drug cases. The no-knock policy is what led to Breonna Taylor’s untimely death during a botched drug raid.
Following the mass protests against police brutality, other lawmakers including Senators Bernie Sanders and Cory Booker and Governors Gavin Newsom and Ralph Northam have addressed the racial injustice stemming from cannabis criminalization.
Read the full story on Marijuana Moment.
If you would like to support organizations fighting for social justice in cannabis, you can find more information on them here.
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