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Senator Booker Introduces Marijuana Justice Act

posted by martyb on Wednesday August 02 2017, @12:39PM   
from the smoke-screen? dept.

takyon writes:

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker has introduced a bill (alt) that has been described by Marijuana Majority as the most far-reaching marijuana bill ever filed in either chamber of Congress. It would legalize cannabis federally by removing "marihuana" and tetrahydrocannabinols from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act. But it would go much further by withholding money from states with racially or financially disparate arrest and incarceration rates for cannabis-related crimes (effectively all states where cannabis is illegal):

The bill would legalize marijuana at the federal level and withhold federal money for building jails and prisons, along with other funds, from states whose cannabis laws are shown to disproportionately incarcerate minorities.

Under the legislation, federal convictions for marijuana use and possession would be expunged and prisoners serving time for a marijuana offense would be entitled to a sentencing hearing.

Those "aggrieved" by a disproportionate arrest or imprisonment rate would be able to sue, according to the bill. And a Community Reinvestment Fund would be established to "reinvest in communities most affected by the war on drugs" for everything from re-entry programs to public libraries.

Booker says that he will work towards bipartisan support for the bill.

Serious legalization attempt or just advertising for a 2020 U.S. Presidential Campaign?

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Original Submission

• Re:racially or financially disparate Re:racially or financially disparate (Score: 0, Flamebait) by Entropy on Thursday August 03 2017, @12:30AM (1 child)

  by Entropy (4228) on Thursday August 03 2017, @12:30AM (#548181)

  1 What if black people are worse criminals, and get caught more?
  2 What if black people are caught using marijuana because they were involved in some other crime which they are more likely per capita to commit?(like rape, or murder, or domestic violence)
  3 What if the poll about illegal drug use had one race lie more than the other? I'm pretty sure the percentage of any race trying marijuana in the US is a ton higher than 12-14%.

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• Re:racially or financially disparate (Score: 2) by hemocyanin on Thursday August 03 2017, @03:17AM

  by hemocyanin (186) on Thursday August 03 2017, @03:17AM (#548210) Journal

  1) What if you were an asshole?
  2) What if you were a giant asshole?
  3) What if you were a goatse scale asshole?

  Parent