Skip to main content

Top New Hampshire Lawmaker Says Marijuana Could Be Legalized Despite Governor’s Opposition

The incoming House Democratic majority’s fifth top ranking member says that after the recent passage of criminal justice reform legislation entitled The First Step Act, the “next step” should be to enact far-reaching marijuana reforms.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who was elected to new party leadership position last month, has been an outspoken advocate for cannabis decriminalization. Though his House Democratic Caucus chair win over Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) disappointed some progressives, his aggressive stance on marijuana reform in 2019 could help endear him to the party’s base.

“Thanks to…the administration and a strong left-right coalition (the unusual suspects), historic criminal justice reform legislation is now law,” Jeffries tweeted on Friday. “Next step, Congress should DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA.”

The congressman has repeatedly condemned racially disproportionate arrest rates for simple marijuana possession, including in parts of New York City that he represents.

“New York City is often known as one of the more progressive places in the country, but I’m ashamed of the fact that it is also the marijuana arrest capitol of the world,” he said in September. “More people in New York City over the last decade or so have been arrested for simple possession of marijuana than in any other place in the world. And the unfortunate part about that—even in a place like New York City that prides itself on social, racial and economic inclusion—is that a disproportionate number of people arrested are black and Latino.”

In his capacity as House Caucus chair, Jeffries will be uniquely positioned to help guide the party’s efforts on cannabis legislation, conferring with likely incoming House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) and committee chairs as the new Democratic majority sets its priorities.

Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) laid out a step-by-step plan to that end earlier this year in a memo to party leaders that he called a “Blueprint to Legalize Marijuana in the 116th Congress.”

The plan involves having multiple committee chairs hold hearings on various aspects of cannabis reform and ultimately delivering a package of reform bills that will pave the path to federal decriminalization and legalization.

“Those who are actually looking to champion criminal justice reform should work with us on key elements surrounding our outdated federal marijuana policy, like federal decriminalization and expungement for non-violent drug offenses,” Blumenauer said in a separate statement about the passage of the criminal justice bill. “Congress needs to do more to transform our justice system from punitive to rehabilitative.”

Incoming House Rules Chair Signs On To Far-Reaching Marijuana Reform Bill

Photo element courtesy of Carlos Gracia.

Marijuana Moment is made possible with support from readers. If you rely on our cannabis advocacy journalism to stay informed, please consider a monthly Patreon pledge.

Original Article Source: https://www.marijuanamoment.net/top-new-hampshire-lawmaker-says-marijuana-could-be-legalized-despite-governors-opposition/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Could CBD Lead To The Development Of Safer Antipsychotic Medications?

Antipsychotic medications are important for managing a number of different psychiatric ailments, including bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, and even dementia. These drugs can greatly improve the manageability of symptoms that often distort one’s experience of reality. They can also create major mood disruptions and lead to a number of behavioral and emotional difficulties. Antipsychotic and anti-psychosis medications can be life-changing for people with such disorders, enabling them to live more normal and manageable lives without their symptoms taking over. These drugs work by regulating neurotransmitters in the brain so that naturally occurring imbalances and dysfunctions no longer disrupt mental and emotional processes. Often, reaching this outcome is much easier said than done; it can take a lot of time to find courses and combinations of treatments that work. It’s sometimes necessary to make adjustments to find the right balance for the individual and it’s not unusual for outc...
Post a Comment
Read more

Mormon Church Faces Potential Lawsuit Over Medical Marijuana Opposition

Political committees concerned with marijuana law reform in four states have waged an information war over the past year, first to qualify cannabis initiatives for the ballot, and then to support or oppose those measures in the lead-up to last week’s midterm elections. In total, over  $12.9 million in cash and in-kind services was spent attempting to convince voters about these marijuana ballot measures. Now that voters have had their say, Marijuana Moment decided to calculate how much each “yes” and “no” vote cost the committees on either side of the debate. Our calculations are based on dollars raised and disclosed before the election, since final totals of actual expenditures won’t be available until December or January reports required in the states that voted on cannabis. Michigan In Michigan, where voters approved marijuana legalization , our calculations show that the two anti-legalization committees spent about $1.28 per “no” vote, as they raised $2.37 million for ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cannabis Watch: Canopy Growth To Book Charge Of Up To $568 Million As Marijuana Restructuring Continues

Canopy Growth Corp. said early Thursday it was halting a range of operations across three continents and expects its restructuring plans to result in a charge of up to C$800 million (567.9 million) in the fiscal fourth quarter. U.S.-traded shares US:CGC CA:WEED of the cannabis company fell 1.9% in afternoon trading. Canopy said it was selling operations in Africa, curtailing cultivation of hemp in the U.S. and Columbia, and shutting down an indoor production facility in Canada. The announcement will result in 85 job cuts, the company said. “When I arrived at Canopy Growth in January, I committed to conducting a strategic review in order to lower our cost structure and reduce our cash burn,” Canopy Chief Executive David Klein said in a statement. Read: As cannabis industry stays largely quiet on coronavirus, this CEO has been sounding the alarm Canopy’s restructuring announcement was expected by investors, Cowen analyst Vivien Azer wrote in a note to clients Thursday. Azer rate...
Post a Comment
Read more