From Capitol Hill To The UN: Resolution Seeks Equity In Cannabis Industry, Urges Biden To Shatter Global Ban

In a bold move on Capitol Hill, Democratic co-chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus reignited the push for fair and equitable cannabis policies. Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Earl Blumenauer (D-OR) reintroduced the Realizing Equitable and Sustainable Participation in Emerging Cannabis Trades (RESPECT) Resolution on Thursday, demanding an overhaul of how marijuana is treated both domestically and internationally, reported Marijuana Moment. 

The RESPECT Resolution targets two key areas: promoting equity within the burgeoning legal cannabis market and dismantling the global prohibition on marijuana.

On the domestic front, the resolution urges states and cities to adopt "best practices" that ensure communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs have a legitimate shot at participating in the economic boom of legal cannabis. This includes expunging cannabis convictions, eliminating discriminatory licensing policies, and prioritizing licenses for individuals who face or have faced the brunt of drug enforcement.

"Any legislation Congress puts forth on cannabis must incorporate both economic and reparative justice," Lee said, pushing for long-overdue cannabis equity. "This bill ensures that disenfranchised communities will be able to benefit equally in the emerging legal and regulated industry."

Blumenauer added that the U.S. is at a turning point in that cannabis is now legal for adults in nearly half of all states and medical marijuana continues to gain acceptance in the vast majority of the country. 

Public opinion on marijuana continues to shift, with increasing majorities favoring legalization and expungement. A November 2023 Gallup poll showed that seven in 10 Americans think that marijuana use should be legal.

“As more states move to legalize cannabis, the imperative for the federal government to act grows even greater,” Blumenauer said. “It is especially critical that legalization fully addresses the harm unleashed on communities of color. We must ensure there is equitable access to the growing multi-billion-dollar cannabis industry.” 

The RESPECT Resolution also sets its sights on a bigger prize: the international decriminalization of marijuana. It implores President Joe Biden to leverage the U.S.'s diplomatic influence to pressure the United Nations to remove cannabis from its list of controlled substances. This ambitious step, if successful, would effectively dismantle the near-global prohibition of marijuana, opening the door for broader reform and scientific research.

Read more about the RESPECT Resoluion HERE at Marijuana Moment, including reactions from cannabis legalization advocates.

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