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  When Will Marijuana Be Legal Federally? 

Posted by CN Staff on August 01, 2017 at 15:15:43 PT
By Janice Williams 
Source: Newsweek  

Washington, D.C. -- Marijuana would become legal at the federal level if Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has it his way. The congressman introduced a bill aiming to remove marijuana’s Schedule I listing under the Controlled Substance Act and make the plant legal. While the overall legislation seeks to make marijuana legal in all 50 states, the driving force behind Booker’s bill, called the Marijuana Justice Act, is the wish to rectify the unjust targeting of the African-American and low-income communities that have been most affected by marijuana arrests.
Citing a study conducted by the American Civil Liberties Union, Booker said black people were more than three times more likely to be arrested for the use and possession of marijuana than whites, which he suggested has created devastating effects in urban areas and communities of color across the U.S.—even though eight states currently allow adults to use, carry and purchase marijuana.“For decades, the failed War on Drugs has locked up millions of nonviolent drug offenders—especially for marijuana-related offenses—at an incredible cost of lost human potential, torn apart families and communities, and taxpayer dollars. The effects of the drug war have had a disproportionately devastating impact on Americans of color and the poor,” Booker wrote in a statement on Facebook. “This is the right thing to do for public safety, and will help reduce our overflowing prison population.”Along with declassifying pot and making the plant legal, Booker’s bill would retroactively expunge convictions for marijuana use and possession, as well as give those currently serving time on cannabis charges the chance to appeal to the courts and have their sentences reduced or eliminated.“These are charges that follow people for the rest of their lives, making it difficult for them to do things that we take for granted, like applying for a taxi cab license—something you can’t get in many states even if your marijuana conviction was 10, 20, 30 years ago. Or people can’t vote in certain states because of their federal marijuana charge,” Booker said during a FacebookLive announcement of the bill.The bill would also establish an incentive pool for communities that have been disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs, allowing certain cities to apply for a reinvestment fund that would grant money to community programs for former marijuana offenders, including job training and reentry services. The fund could also be used to invest in public libraries, community centers and youth programs, Booker said.The odds of the bill passing in Congress are slim, Booker admitted, explaining that he was the only sponsor of the bill thus far. However, his bill isn’t the first aimed at making marijuana legal at the federal level.In March, a number of U.S. representatives from Colorado and Oregon introduced the Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol Act, which aimed to remove cannabis’ Schedule I listing and to allow all pot to be sold and consumed in a similar manner to alcohol. The bill would also establish a marijuana tax and give researchers the opportunity to conduct more studies on the plant without the pressures of federal government oversight.Source: Newsweek (US)Author: Janice WilliamsPublished: August 1, 2017Copyright: 2017 Newsweek, Inc.Contact: letters newsweek.comWebsite: http://www.newsweek.comURL: http://drugsense.org/url/y4hpV0L7CannabisNews -- Cannabis Archiveshttp://cannabisnews.com/news/list/cannabis.shtml 

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Comment #10 posted by The GCW on August 03, 2017 at 14:20:40 PT
FoM,
It just keeps making the head shake.So, Shake it in a different spectrum:Beauty in the World.Macy Gray's way.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0qX7ZsxD3IkThis is how We cope.
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Comment #9 posted by FoM on August 03, 2017 at 06:49:15 PT
The GCW
That's what they do. Make the drug laws harsher so they can fill the private prisons since Trump reversed Obama's end to private prisons. Oh the greed and lack of common sense and mercy.
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Comment #8 posted by The GCW on August 03, 2017 at 04:23:25 PT
Sick people, sick country, sick politicians
Private Prison Demands New Mexico and Feds Find 300 More Prisoners in 60 Days or It Will CloseCore Civic isn't making enough money after sentencing reforms.http://www.alternet.org/human-rights/private-prison-demands-new-mexico-and-feds-find-300-more-prisoners-60-days-or-it-will
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Comment #7 posted by gloovins on August 01, 2017 at 20:45:05 PT

Shame on them
I think about this topic often because of the gross mis-Justice of Schedule 1 and how cannabis' is placed here currently. It is pretty simple. See, the pharmaceutical companies, the legal drug industry (alcohol & tobacco), law enforcement, the democratic and republican parties all this cesspool of influence, they have come together in a sickening collusion to KEEP IT SCHEDULE 1 under the guise of keeping us safe as a country -- especially kids. Think what this phrase means to parents of an epileptic kids who use CBD oil, derived from cannabis, to treat and many times cure their kids of seizures. Shame on all prohibitionist so-called Representatives in CONgress.
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Comment #6 posted by The GCW on August 01, 2017 at 20:15:34 PT

Not another penny.
10 Years After Bridge Collapse, America Is Still Crumblinghttp://www.npr.org/2017/08/01/540669701/10-years-after-bridge-collapse-america-is-still-crumbling "...there are still tens of thousands of bridges nationwide that need to be fixed or replaced."-0-Not another penny should be put toward perpetuating cannabis prohibition, considered one of America's worst policy failures in history, when that money could be used for crucial infrastructure throughout the country.Jobs people need. Work America needs.t keeps spouting on about jobs...
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Comment #5 posted by HempWorld on August 01, 2017 at 18:24:58 PT

afterburner
With all due respect afterburner,Canada is property of "The Crown" aka the UK or England, etc.Canada legalized Industrial Hemp in 1998 and in the USA, we are STILL waiting about 20 years on.So no, you can not compare them, unfortunately. Much to know and learn if you take the time.The USA has different masters. I will not go into detail here. 
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Comment #4 posted by afterburner on August 01, 2017 at 17:55:59 PT

Congress and Corporate Control
In Canada, 80 percent of businesses are family-owned, and provide 60 percent of the GNP (Gross National Product). Canada has some of the same corporate influences over government that the USA does. I don't have the relevant US percentages. However, with a supportive federal government, the promise of real legalization looks possible.
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Comment #2 posted by Soupherb on August 01, 2017 at 17:12:36 PT:

Never
Corporate domination on every level of human interactions has proven to be the demise of all mankind...
It was nice while it lasted...I also miss the influence the Indians of the Americas were so more far advance than our industrial creation of destruction...
Toodles
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Comment #1 posted by HempWorld on August 01, 2017 at 16:34:40 PT

My Answer
When Hell freezes over!We are sold out to congress, who itself is and has been sold out a long, long time ago to the powers that be!
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