Today, Rep. Shontel M. Brown (OH-11) voted for The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, comprehensive legislation to decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and address the injustices the criminalization of marijuana has had on communities of color.
Across the country, 47 states, including Ohio, have reformed their marijuana laws, despite its federal criminalization. Yet the continued enforcement of marijuana laws results in over 600,000 arrests annually. This disproportionately impacts people of color, who are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession charges. Meanwhile, even with changing state regulation of marijuana, only one-fifth of cannabis businesses are minority-owned and only four percent of owners are Black.
“Decades upon decades of failed, discriminatory drug policies have directly harmed Black and Brown communities. Even today, some Americans serve harsh sentences for marijuana use, while others make millions in profit off the industry,” said Rep. Brown. “The MORE Act would right this historical wrong by decriminalizing marijuana, expunging the records of those harmed by criminalization, and creating new opportunities for all to participate in the legal industry. Today, I am proud to cast my vote to decriminalize marijuana and bring us one important step closer to justice.”
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