Democratic Senator Kamala Harris joined Rep. Jerrold Nadler to introduce a sweeping marijuana legalization bill on Monday that would decriminalize pot at the federal level and expunge previous weed convictions.
The bill, dubbed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act, would also levy a 5 percent sales tax on marijuana to fund three grant programs that would assist “socially and economically disadvantaged individuals” in the marijuana industry and aid those impacted by the war on drugs.
The legislation would also outlaw the deportation of undocumented immigrants for a minor marijuana conviction. Immigrants would also not be subject to citizenship denial because of a pot conviction if the bill is signed into law.
“Times have changed — marijuana should not be a crime,” Harris, who is seeking the Democratic nomination for president, said in a statement announcing the legislation.
“We need to start regulating marijuana, and expunge marijuana convictions from the records of millions of Americans so they can get on with their lives,” she added.
Nadler, also a Democrat, added that marijuana enforcement in the US has been “racially motivated” and needed to be corrected.
“Despite the legalization of marijuana in states across the country, those with criminal convictions for marijuana still face second class citizenship. Their vote, access to education, employment, and housing are all negatively impacted,” Nadler said in a statement.
“Racially motivated enforcement of marijuana laws has disproportionally impacted communities of color. It’s past time to right this wrong nationwide and work to view marijuana use as an issue of personal choice and public health, not criminal behavior,” he added.
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