The US House of Representatives Cori Bush and Bonnie Watson Cole introduce bill with a health-oriented approach to drugs

On June 17, 1971, President Richard Nixon declared a “war on drugs” which history would later show was actually a war against blacks, the anti-war left, and hippies. Nixon’s drug war later became President Ronald Reagan’s fight in the 1980s. Over the decades, the war on drugs has ravaged the criminal justice system, wasted billions of dollars, and ruined the lives of countless black, Latin American, indigenous and low-income communities. Although it looks different from the Nixon and Reagan Crusade, it is a war that continues to this day.

Before the 50th anniversary of Nixon’s declaration of war, the US House of Representatives Cori Bush (D-MO) and Bonnie Watson Cole (D-NJ) just introduced the Drug Policy Reform Act (DPRA). According to a press release, this federal bill would provide:

• End criminal penalties for drug possession at the national level
• Authorize the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
• Delete records and file criminal charges res
• Eliminates many of the lifelong consequences of drug arrests and convictions
• Reinvest in alternative health-oriented approaches
• Promote evidence-based drug education

In addition to the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA), which was a strategic partner in drafting the bill, the legislation also aims to address many of the overlooked effects of drug arrest and conviction, such as status, driver’s licenses and voting rights. The DPA provided expertise and advice in drafting the DPRA, which included the DPA’s 2020 proposal: Dismantling the Federal Drug War: A Comprehensive Drug Decriminalization Framework.

“Growing up in St. Louis saw the crack cocaine epidemic rob so many lives of my community,” Congressman Cori Bush (D-MO) said in the press release. “I witnessed a malicious marijuana war in which blacks were arrested for possession three times as often as their white counterparts, even though use rates are similar. As a nurse, I’ve seen black families criminalized for heroin use, while white families are. ”Treated for opioid use. And now, as a Congressman, I see the pattern repeat itself with fentanyl as the DEA pushes for an expanded classification that would criminalize possession and use. This punitive approach causes more pain, increases substance use and leaves millions of people living in shame and isolation with limited support and healing.

“The United States not only failed as we fought the war on drugs – the war on drugs has been a stain on our national conscience since its inception,” he said. Congressman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) said in the press release. “The war on drugs, which began in 1972 as a cynical political tactic by the Nixon administration, has destroyed the lives of countless Americans and their families. As we work to resolve this issue, it is important that we change our tactics in how we deal with drug use, “away from the failed punitive approach and towards a health-based and evidence-based approach.”

“Every 23 seconds a person’s life is ruined simply because they possess drugs. Drug possession remains the most widely arrested crime in the United States, despite the well-known fact that criminalization of drugs does nothing to help communities, it ruins them it is tearing families apart and causing trauma that can be felt for generations. The drug war has wreaked havoc in black, Latin American, indigenous and low-income communities, and today we say, ‘Enough is enough!’ “said Queen Adesuyi, Policy Manager for the Office of National Affairs at the Drug Policy Alliance.

I asked Bridget Hennessey, VP of Government Relations at Weedmaps, for her thoughts on the importance of the pre-50 bill. And the losses are almost too monumental to comprehend. Countless individuals, families, communities, and opportunities have paid dearly. We need more than a Marshall Plan to correct all the injustices caused by the misguided leadership and ill-conceived policies that are hallmarks of this war. ”

She also praised the DPA and MPs Coleman and Bush for the boldness of the bill. “Before we build something up again, we have to rethink and rethink everything. Working closely with the experts and leadership of the Drug Policy Alliance, Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman and Rep. Cori Bush did just that, ”Hennessey said. “Yes, this legislation may seem unorthodox. But at the core it is reasonable. Despite the fact that it contains programs and guidelines that health activists and other stakeholders have advocated for years, critics will describe it as radical and outside the mainstream.

The DPA also hosted a virtual press conference with Reps Coleman and Bush to announce the unveiling of the bill this morning.

Featured image by W. Scott McGill / Shutterstock.