Cannabis Returns to Congress with House Hearing on State, Federal Reforms
From Cannabis Wire:
Bipartisan cooperation took center stage as Congressional lawmakers discussed the future of federal cannabis reform during a House hearing on Tuesday.
The U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Reform Subcommittee on Civil Rights and Civil Liberties held a hybrid hearing to examine the benefits of cannabis decriminalization at the federal level, including addressing racial disparities in the criminal justice system, improving treatment options for veterans, and allowing cannabis companies to access traditional banking services…
Among the speakers that testified: Paul Armentano, deputy director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws; Andrew Freedman, executive director of the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education, and Regulation; Eric Goepel, founder and CEO of the Veterans Cannabis Coalition; Keeda Haynes, senior legal advisor of Free Hearts; Amber Littlejohn senior policy advisor for the Global Alliance for Cannabis Commerce; Jillian Snider, policy director of criminal justice & civil liberties for the R Street Institute; and Randall Woodfin, mayor of the City of Birmingham, Alabama.
Snider highlighted trends in crime across the country and said that “focusing on anything other than violent crime is unwise.” The state-by-state approach to cannabis further complicates the problem, she said.
“Currently, cannabis may be legal in one state and decriminalized in another, but because it is still prohibited at the federal level, users or possessors of the substance are subjected to criminal penalty,” Snider said. “This dual legality is problematic. It not only confuses the average citizen, but it also results in extremely varied approaches of policing.”
