Bernie Sanders supported marijuana policy reform way before it became popular. Back when he was running for president in 2016, the Vermont senator made history by supporting marijuana legalization. Since then, Sanders has continued to advocate for ending the War on Drugs. Furthermore, he has petitioned the federal government for policy changes and worked to reevaluate marijuana’s Schedule I classification. In his latest pro-marijuana move, Bernie Sanders announces he will co-sponsor Marijuana Justice Act. Here’s a closer look at the proposed marijuana policy and its growing political support.
The Marijuana Justice Act
New Jersey Senator Cory Booker introduced the bill back in August. Since then, Representatives Barbara Lee and Ro Khanna have co-sponsored the House version of the Marijuana Justice Act. According to Marijuana Majority leader Tom Angell, “This is the single most far-reaching marijuana bill that’s ever been filed in either chamber of Congress.”
The act has four major components: It would legalize marijuana on the federal level, retroactively clear all marijuana-related federal convictions, allocate $500 million for job training in communities affected by the War on Drugs and cut law enforcement funding for states that arrest a disproportionate number of people of color.
The Act’s Co-Sponsors
Many other Democrats have stepped up to support the Marijuana Justice Act. To date, twenty-seven legislators are co-sponsoring the bill. Senior Democratic Senator Ron Wyden of Oregon was the first senator to co-sponsor the act after Senator Booker introduced it.
In February, New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand also announced her support. Senator Gillibrand has repeatedly spoken out against Sessions’ marijuana crackdown, tweeting that [Sessions] is “either willfully ignorant or cowing to corporate greed on behalf of pharma special interest profits.”