The treatment of cannabis on the federal level remains embarrassingly behind the times.
Friend,
The treatment of cannabis on the federal level remains embarrassingly behind the times.
It’s ridiculous that marijuana is still classified as a Schedule I substance, on par with heroin and LSD. This treatment stunts opportunity, ruins lives for those caught in the criminal justice system, and puts users at risk of ingesting a tainted product. By legalizing marijuana, we can ensure that the public has access to safe products and we can ignite a new spirit of entrepreneurship, as we’ve seen in the many states that have already legalized recreational cannabis.
I have supported reform since my first campaign for Congress and was a lead sponsor of the Marijuana Justice Act. The federal approach to marijuana has caused irreparable harm to those who still face criminal records, particularly people of color.
We have years of evidence to show how legalizing marijuana would also be a boon for our economy. Washington State collected $559.5 million dollars in legal tax revenue in 2021 from the cannabis industry. If we legalize it at the national level, economists estimate that we could create over 1 million jobs by 2025 and over $132 billion in tax revenue over the next decade.
The federal prohibition of marijuana has failed. It’s time to do the right thing and legalize it.
