Older generations tend to have a negative stigma surrounding cannabis usage. I have experienced these negative remarks first hand living in a more traditional Mexican household. Growing up I was always told cannabis is “for druggies, will ruin your life, or make you a delinquent”.
I understand that older generations were told the same things by their parents or family members but it is important to remain open-minded when it comes to cannabis usage.
Harvard Health Publishing released a blog post about how cannabis usage is beneficial for chronic pain, helps lessen tremors in Parkinson’s Disease, helps manage nausea and helps support veterans with their post-traumatic stress disorder from war.
Additionally, cannabis helps treat anxiety disorders. Many people nowadays use cannabis for recreational purposes or for medical purposes. People have their personal reasons for using cannabis and it isn’t fair to judge someone for it.
Earlier this month there was an act introduced that would legalize Marijuana in all 50 states on a federal level. So let us start from the beginning to take a closer look at what legalizing marijuana on a federal level would mean.
Currently, 37 states have legalized cannabis for medical use and 18 states for both medical and recreational use, but cannabis is still illegal under federal law. This poses an issue for marijuana businesses looking to obtain bank loans and accounts. The only 2 states where marijuana is not legalized are Idaho and Nebraska.
In the first week of April, the House of Representatives passed the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act. This bill decriminalizes marijuana and more specifically removes marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substance Act and eliminates criminal penalties for an individual who manufactures, distributes, or possesses marijuana.
The most significant aspect of the MORE Act is that it will eliminate criminal penalties and give those with prior cannabis-related offenses a fresh start. The MORE Act will provide a new start for the Black and Brown community who in previous years have been given unfair sentences for the possession of marijuana compared to white Americans despite similar usage.
This bill aims to reverse decades of injustices against communities of color who have been targeted for cannabis-related acts.
The United States has slowly progressed with the legalization of marijuana throughout its history. Most states have now legalized marijuana and removing marijuana from the list of federal offenses would be a significant movement in the right direction for many Americans.
The MORE Act would be a great restart for people with previous cannabis-related offenses and the Black and Brown community no longer have to live in fear of being targeted, this bill still needs to be passed in the senate. In prior years the Senate has not been a big supporter of the legalization of marijuana on a federal level.
I hope that for the justice of those unfairly incarcerated for marijuana possession and the future of the Black and Brown community, the Senate passes the MORE Act in the upcoming future.
As a community, we can reach out to our representatives and express our support for the MORE Act by sending an email supporting this bill.
Let us know what you think and tag us @HerCampusSJSU