A coalition of civil liberties groups in the U.S. is pressing Congress to pass marijuana legalization within the month.
WASHINGTON — A coalition featuring the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) has asked the Democratic-controlled Congress to finalize legislation that would legalize recreational marijuana across the United States.
Such a call comes as states across the country have already adopted laws and regulations that enable the sale and cultivation of recreational and medicinal marijuana strands.
Kyle Jaeger, an associate editor for Marijuana Moment, reports that the coalition, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, sent a letter to House leadership requesting a fast-track of the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement (MORE) Act.
We strongly support the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act – comprehensive marijuana justice policy that addresses justice reform, racial justice, and equity.
House leadership must bring up this critical legislation for a vote in June: https://t.co/GXIv6ODgx5 pic.twitter.com/uGVUMu8xJP
— The Leadership Conference (@civilrightsorg) June 4, 2021
“In the face of a growing national dialogue on discriminatory law enforcement practices, including the disproportionate policing of drug use in communities of color, transforming our criminal-legal system and redressing its harms is more relevant and more pressing than ever before,” the letter states.
“Marijuana reform represents a modest but necessary first step toward that transformation and toward repairing the harm wrought by the War on Drugs. The MORE Act remains the most effective and equitable way forward.”
The Leadership Conference features 220 organizations working for criminal justice reform and to protect the rights of drug users and members of communities of color.
The MORE Act cleared the House last year but was killed.
A recent refiling leaves the bill up for debate again and serves as a potential benchmark win for drug legalization and criminal justice reform during the tenure of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris.
We mention this because Biden and Harris, like running mates on the 2020 campaign trail, openly endorsed the concept of national legalization as a means to counter the terrible impacts of the War on Drugs.
Democrats in the Senate and the House have openly announced that they intend to push for marijuana legalization, using the slim majorities both chambers have over others in the chamber, including Republicans.
