Marijuana Justice Act

The Marijuana Justice Act (S.1689) was a 2017 bill to remove cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, sponsored by U.S. Senator Cory Booker.^[1] An identical bill, H.R.4815, was introduced in the House of Representatives.^[2] The bill was reintroduced in 2019 and co-sponsored by a number of contenders for the Democratic Party's nomination for U.S. President in the 2020 election, including Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Kirsten Gillibrand, Michael Bennet, and Bernie Sanders.^[3][4] In February 2019, it was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary.^[5] The bill introduced by Senator Booker in the 2017–2018 Congress was called "among the most notable efforts" around legalization in that session.^[6] Besides removing cannabis from the Controlled Substances Act, the bill also sought to set up a community reinvestment fund, provide for expungement of past drug convictions, and penalize states that enforce cannabis laws disproportionately (regarding race or income status).^[7]

Senator Cory Booker at a rally in support of the Marijuana Justice Act in August 2017

Legislative history

• 115th Congress (2017–2018): H.R. 4815 and S. 1689
• 116th Congress (2019–2020): H.R. 1456 and S. 597

References

1. Weigel 2019.
2. Pasquariello 2018.
3. Associated Press 2019.
4. Buck 2019.
5. Bill tracker: S.597, U.S. Congress, 28 February 2019, retrieved November 4, 2020
6. Schiller 2018.
7. Berke 2018.

Sources

• Andrew Blake (February 28, 2019). "Cory Booker reintroduces Marijuana Justice Act favored by fellow 2020 hopefuls". Associated Press. Archived from the original on January 1, 2021.
• Pasquariello, Alex (January 17, 2018). "Rep. Barbara Lee introduces companion House bill to Marijuana Justice Act". The Cannabist. Retrieved May 3, 2024.
• Weigel, David (February 28, 2019). "Booker and four presidential rivals endorse marijuana legalization". Washington Post.
• Schiller, Melissa (July 6, 2018). "Here's the 2017-2018 Federal Legislation That Could Affect Your Cannabis Business". Cannabis Business Times.
• Berke, Jeremy (April 20, 2018). "Top Democrats have introduced a number of bills to push for the federal legalization of marijuana". Business Insider.
• Buck, Rebecca (February 28, 2019). "Cory Booker to re-introduce marijuana legalization bill, highlighting issue's importance for 2020 Democrats". CNN.

Further reading

• "Why Cory Booker cares so much about legal weed". Rolling Stone. May 2, 2019.
• "Marijuana Justice Act of 2017: Senator Cory Booker Introduces Act to Repair the Harms Exacted by Marijuana Prohibition.", Harvard Law Review, vol. 131, pp. 926–933, January 10, 2018 as PDF

External links

• All Info - S.597 - 116th Congress (2019-2020): Marijuana Justice Act of 2019