Cory Booker Lights Up California Cannabis Facility In Drive for Federal Legalization, Tells Workers 'I've Been in the Trenches'

New Jersey Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) paid a visit to the Natura cannabis manufacturing facility in Sacramento, California this week and immersed himself in discussions around cannabis cultivation and regulation. In the backdrop of marijuana grow rooms, Booker greeted the room full of marijuana workers, praising them for taking legal and personal risks to pioneer the industry and set the standard for the rest of the country.

Drawing from his Newark roots, Booker lamented the enduring impact of cannabis prohibition, reported High Times Magazine. "I'm from Newark where marijuana enforcement is disproportionately focused on low-income people, people of color, people who are suffering, people who are struggling. And we have this perverse reality in America where we have people with criminal convictions who are doing things that presidents and congresspeople and senators have admitted to doing. The hypocrisy of that is maddening."

Booker recently collaborated with Senators Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Ron Wyden (D-OR) and 13 others to reintroduce the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) on May 1. This landmark legislation aims to dismantle federal cannabis prohibition, offering pathways to expunge past convictions and promote restorative justice. "These common-sense policies will ensure a more equitable criminal justice system and promote public safety," Booker said in a press release at the time.

The announcement of the CAOA coincided with the DEA’s decision to reschedule cannabis, marking a significant shift in federal drug policy though uncertainties linger regarding its impact on existing state markets and people still incarcerated for cannabis offenses. Other provisions within the CAOA include the establishment of federal regulatory frameworks and FDA standards for cannabis products.

Read also: DEA And Cannabis Rescheduling: A Rollercoaster Ride You Don’t Want To Miss, But Keep Your Seatbelts On

Booker: Long Years In The Trenches For Cannabis Reform

Booker’s advocacy for cannabis reform is nothing new, he told the workers at Natura. "I've been in the trenches on this. When I first got to the Senate 11 years ago, I put forth a major piece of legislation called the Marijuana Justice Act, and I'm not joking I literally got laughed at by senators saying that we shouldn't do that or it's a career ender to come out like that," Booker said.

The senator ended his visit by commending the Natura workers for their resilience amid regulatory challenges, affirming their role in shaping a more just and equitable future.

"I came here to, not learn, but connect with these people that are part of a larger movement in America for justice and I've just seen that each and every one of you are willing to work in an industry that's not easy, but also wants to be in a country where freedom's never been easy," Booker said. "Justice has never been easy but we need people like us to stand up for it. It's what makes it possible."

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Photo: Courtesy of Gage Skidmore by Commons and Kindel Media by Pexels