Senator Kristen Gillibrand has officially announced her support for marijuana legalization.
Gillibrand announced Wednesday she and Senator Cory Booker are cosponsoring the Marijuana Justice Act, legislation that would legalize marijuana and "reverse decades of failed drug policy that have disproportionately hurt communities of color and low-income communities in New York and across the country."
According to her, the legislation would make marijuana legal at the federal level, create incentives for states to change marijuana laws, and expunge convictions related to use or possession.
Additionally, it would create a fund to reinvest in communities that have been most impacted by marijuana policies, by investing in job training programs, educational opportunities, community centers, etc.
According to Gillibrand, Black and Latino New Yorkers are nearly 10 times more likely than Whites to be arrested for marijuana, despite national studies showing nearly equal rates of marijuana use.
"Millions of Americans' lives have been devastated because of our broken marijuana policies, especially in communities of color and low-income communities," Gillibrand said.
"Legalizing marijuana isn't a matter of if, it's a matter of when," said Senator Booker.
