Sen. Cory Booker Says Cannabis Reform Is a Civil Rights Issue in New Op-Ed

By Maureen Meehan

Senator Cory Booker of New Jersey, in an op-ed he wrote for the Huff Post, discussed why the US justice system treats the most marginalized groups in the country’s society very differently — even when it comes to nonviolent drug crimes.

“I can still remember the basement of the Willie T. Wright Apartments in Newark, where men of all ages were crammed into a standing room. I was only 29 at the time, newly elected to the Newark City Council and just a year out of law school, but neither class nor political experience prepared me for the current situation,” Booker wrote, citing a law clinic his council staffed Host. “I could see the pain on the faces of these men, many of whom had struggled for years to reintegrate into society after being convicted of low-level nonviolent drug offenses. Dejected by the circumstances, they now tried to defy the odds in a solid game.”

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Booker called that day a “vivid illustration of a reality” he had known most of his life: the unequal treatment of most marginalized groups by the US justice system. Quoted from an ACLU report, black people across the country are almost four times more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis possession, despite the fact that both groups use about the same amount.

And then there’s the shocking 2021 report of cannabis-related arrests in New York City, which confirmed that 94% of those arrested were people of color.

“These injustices are precisely why we must ensure that restorative justice is the starting point of any cannabis reform legislation and not an afterthought. With that fundamental belief in mind, Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.), Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), and I announced a discussion draft of the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act last fall,” Booker said, adding that “Our proposed bill would repeal the federal ban on cannabis, eradicate federal nonviolent cannabis crimes, and reinvest funds into communities ailing under the weight of previous criminal convictions, erosion of job prospects, and denial of basic social services.”

Booker called the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act historic as it marks the first time a Senate leader has called for the federal ban on cannabis to be lifted. Also the fact that there are members on both sides of the aisle who are united and who understand the need for restorative and racial justice to help right the wrongs of the nation’s failed drug war.

Booker added that the bill paves a way forward to ensure economic justice for minority small business owners looking to break into the burgeoning cannabis industry. “However, we know that our financial system perpetuates immense obstacles to fairness and equality. Studies have shown that while Black and Brown entrepreneurs start new businesses at higher rates than their peers, they continually struggle to access the critical finance they need to invest in their people, expand operations, and grow their business.”

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Noting that less than 5% of cannabis companies are owned by black people, Booker said many express concern that systemic barriers and a lack of capital will prevent them from ever entering the industry.

“Cannabis-related businesses need capital to thrive, and I support giving them access to those financial resources. But simply opening the floodgates to billions of dollars for cannabis companies will not solve the racial injustices in the banking system,” Booker said.

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The process must be conducted fairly

“As such, the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act also creates a grants program, overseen by the Small Business Administration, that provides resources for minority entrepreneurs who want to start cannabis-related businesses,” Booker said.

Returning to the night that changed his life at the Willie T. Wright Apartments, Booker said a frustrated man asked him, “What will it take?” It’s been over 10 years. What does it take for me to get a second chance?”

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Booker’s response: “We must all come together to reckon with the racial injustices that have plagued America and to understand the pain communities of color have felt for years. Only then will we have the moral resolve, empathy, and political urgency to ensure that no one is left behind as we right the many injustices caused by America’s drug laws. Only then will we ensure that all people receive the justice they deserve but have long been denied.”

This article originally appeared on Benzinga and has been republished with permission.