Sen. Gillibrand Backs Marijuana Legalization Bill

On Wednesday, New York Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand announced her support for a bill that would legalize marijuana on the federal level, changing decades of governmental policy toward the drug.

Attitudes toward the drug have shifted in recent years, and many states have made it legal not only for medical use, but also recreational. Marijuana is legal in New York for medical use, and there are already two dispensaries on Long Island, with four more on the way.

The legislation, titled the Marijuana Justice Act, was first proposed by Sen. Cory Booker, a Democrat from New Jersey, last August. So far, it only has one other co-sponsor: Sen. Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.

“Millions of Americans’ lives have been devastated because of our broken marijuana policies, especially in communities of color and low-income communities,” Gillibrand said. “Just one minor possession conviction could take away a lifetime of opportunities for jobs, education, and housing, tear families apart, and make people more vulnerable to serving time in jail or prison down the road. The reality that my 14-year-old son would likely be treated very differently from one of his black or Latino peers if he was caught with marijuana is shameful. Legalizing marijuana is a social justice issue and a moral issue that Congress needs to address, and I’m proud to work with Senator Booker on this legislation to help fix decades of injustice caused by our nation’s failed drug policies.”

The legislation would do more than just make marijuana legal on the federal level. As proposed, it would also expunge the convictions related to marijuana use or possession, and also create incentives for states to change marijuana laws. Specifically, it says that if the percentage of low-income and minority residents arrested in a state on marijuana charges is higher than the higher income, non-minority residents arrested, the state could lose federal funding for the construction and staffing of prisons and jails.

Booker's legislation would also create a fund to reinvest money in communities that have been most heavily impacted by current, harsh marijuana policies. This would include job training programs, educational opportunities, public library funding, community centers and other community oriented programs.

“The War on Drugs has been a war on people, especially people of color and low-income individuals,” Booker said. “The Marijuana Justice Act would reverse this trend by not only legalizing marijuana, but by also helping to address the damage the War on Drugs has inflicted on communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana enforcement.”

However, the bill is unlikely to pass. Republicans, who currently control both the House and Senate, have traditionally taken a strong stance against drugs. And Attorney General Jeff Sessions has made his dislike of marijuana well known. In fact, the forecasting group Skopos Labs gives the bill only a 2 percent chance of passing in the current Congress.

However, that doesn't mean that all hope is lost for advocates of marijuana legalization. A record number of Americans now support legalizing marijuana. A recent Siena College poll showed that a majority of New Yorkers support marijuana legalization, and a recent Fox News poll showed that support for legalizing marijuana is at an all-time high across the country, with nearly 60 percent of Americans favoring legalization.

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