Historic Marijuana Legalization Vote in House Scheduled: Wednesday 11/20, 10am ET
Law Enforcement Organization Endorses The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019
Tomorrow at 10am, the US House of Representatives will mark up the The Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (The MORE Act) of 2019. Today, Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) executive director Maj. Neill Franklin (Ret.) spoke at a press conference called by the House Judiciary Committee, announcing the historic House vote. Maj. Franklin speaks at the 23:55 mark in this video.
The MORE Act would remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act, expunge many marijuana offense records, and reinvest in communities most harmed by marijuana prohibition. The bill was introduced by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and a companion bill was introduced by Sen. Kamala Harris (D-CA) in the Senate.
Legalizing marijuana would help law enforcement focus on the serious issues that matter most to communities. With more than half a million arrests in the US each year — even after many states have legalized marijuana — police resources are being squandered on a policy that a majority of Americans oppose. A new poll shows that two-thirds of Americans support legalizing marijuana. Crimes against people and property and their victims deserve our attention, not marijuana offenses, whose biggest harms (criminal control, collateral consequences of arrest, sales to minors) come from the drug being illegal and unregulated.
When marijuana is legal, otherwise innocent people are less likely to come into unnecessary contact with the justice system, which should improve public perceptions of police and, ultimately, public safety. In addition to disrupting many undeserving individuals’ lives, marijuana arrests brew resentment between civilians and the police sworn to protect them. Without trust, people don’t pick up the phone or answer the door to talk to us about real crime. Marijuana legalization will help police solve crimes and keep communities safer.
LEAP stands by policies that we know will contribute to greater public safety and better relationships between police and communities. We are proud to endorse the MORE Act.
The Law Enforcement Action Partnership (LEAP) is a nonprofit group of police, judges, prosecutors, and other justice system professionals who use their expertise to promote evidence-based solutions to public safety problems. To keep our speakers at the forefront of criminal justice reform, we need your help. Donate here.
