Wyden joins push to end federal prohibition of marijuana

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) plans to be the first senator to officially join Senator Cory Booker (D-N.J.) as a cosponsor of the Marijuana Justice Act. The act, if passed, would end the federal prohibition of marijuana.

“The Marijuana Justice Act seeks to reverse decades of failed drug policy that has disproportionately impacted low-income individuals and people of color,” a representative of Sen. Booker’s office wrote.

The bill would remove marijuana from a list of federally controlled substances and incentivize states to change marijuana laws that disproportionately affect low-income individuals or those of color. According to Sen. Booker, the law would be retroactive, allowing for a judge to review cases of those already serving time for marijuana-related crimes.

On Monday, December 18, Senators Wyden and Booker will officially announce the co-sponsorship on Facebook. You can watch here: http://www.facebook.com/corybooker.