Senators on a key Judiciary subcommittee are set to carry a listening to on marijuana reform on Tuesday—and the witnesses embrace former federal hashish prisoner Weldon Angelos and anti-marijuana proselytizer Alex Berenson.
The Judiciary Subcommittee on Legal Justice and Counterterrorism, chaired by Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), has 5 witnesses scheduled to testify, in line with an inventory obtained by Marijuana Second that was later publicly posted by the panel.
Right here’s the record of witnesses for the listening to, titled “Decriminalizing Hashish on the Federal Degree: Vital Steps to Tackle Previous Harms.”
MAJORITY WITNESSES:
Malik Burnett, a pro-legalization doctor who previously labored for the Drug Coverage Alliance (DPA) and beforehand testified in favor of reform earlier than the U.S. Home of Representatives. He presently serves because the medical director of hurt discount companies on the Maryland Division of Well being.
Weldon Angelos, a former federal marijuana prisoner who acquired a presidential pardon beneath the Trump administration and has continued to push for clemency for different folks with federal hashish convictions by way of his group The Weldon Venture.
Edward Jackson, chief of police on the Annapolis Police Division and a speaker on the pro-reform group Legislation Enforcement Motion Partnership (LEAP).
MINORITY WITNESSES:
Steve Prepare dinner, former federal prosecutor who beforehand served as president of the Nationwide Affiliation of Assistant United States Attorneys. Often called a drug warrior who helps taking a carceral strategy in legal justice, Prepare dinner was appointed by then-Legal professional Basic Jeff Classes to work in DOJ as affiliate deputy lawyer normal and led a marijuana evaluation panel for the division forward of the Trump administration’s rescission of Obama-era hashish enforcement memos.
Alex Berenson, former New York Occasions reporter who has confronted ample criticism over his questionable analysis linking marijuana use to severe psychological sickness and violent crime, and who was at one level banned from Twitter for claims he made about COVID-19 vaccines.
The selection of witnesses gives a preview of the type of debate that almost all and minority will take up on the listening to. And the truth that Berenson was picked by Senate Republicans to go earlier than the panel alerts that there will likely be diametrically opposed views represented on the assembly.
Extra particularly, it hints that there will likely be drama, as Berenson isn’t an individual who’s identified for subtlety and has grew to become infamous on social media for providing contrarian takes on present occasions, significantly as they concern marijuana and COVID.
Inform Your Kids – I’ll be testifying tomorrow about hashish legalization earlier than the Senate Judiciary Committee’s subcommittee on crime.https://t.co/nMMxT2uqA7
— Alex Berenson (@AlexBerenson) July 25, 2022
He’s the creator of the 2019 e-book “Inform Your Kids: The Reality About Marijuana, Psychological Sickness, and Violence,” which primarily argues that hashish use causes psychosis, psychosis causes violence, ergo marijuana causes violence. The e-book, peppered with excessive examples of crime being dedicated by folks allegedly beneath the affect of hashish, has been routinely cited by prohibitionists and anti-reform lawmakers who oppose legalization.
It’s additionally been routinely dismissed by advocates and students who’ve accused Berenson of cherry-picking information to assist a contrarian narrative that’s raised his nationwide profile and earned him spots on Fox Information.
In any case, the panel is chaired by Booker, one of many three prime sponsors of a newly launched federal legalization invoice that’s anticipated to be a centerpiece of the subcommittee’s dialogue. Whereas the 2 anti-reform witnesses could have a seat on the desk, the listening to is targeted on the trail ahead for federal marijuana coverage, not upholding the established order of prohibition.
Tomorrow, the Senate Judiciary Committee is having a listening to on the horrific crime wave & marijuana.
I am grateful that former federal prosecutor Steven Prepare dinner and best-selling creator Alex Berenson are testifying.
You may watch right here: https://t.co/kIrzIN4pPa
— Tom Cotton (@TomCottonAR) July 25, 2022
Booker, Senate Majority Chief Chuck Schumer (D-NY) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) filed the long-awaited Hashish Administration and Alternative Act (CAOA) final week, greater than a 12 months after unveiling a draft model. It shortly gained two new cosponsors, together with the third-highest-ranking Senate Democratic, Assistant Majority Chief Patty Murray (D-WA).
However whereas the laws will doubtless be taken up by the panel, there’s a normal understanding amongst advocates and lawmakers that it’s unlikely to be enacted this Congress given the daunting 60-vote threshold it might must move by way of the Senate. Not all Democrats had been on board with the draft proposal, and GOP members would doubtless oppose it.
In any case, Tuesday’s listening to may give an up to date sense of the place members throughout the aisle presently stand on reform and what they’re prepared to advance as People develop more and more pissed off over the continuing federal criminalization of hashish.
Schumer, for his half, stated final week that he’s dedicated to working with bipartisan workplaces to get “one thing” executed on hashish reform “this 12 months.” He’s appeared to go away the door open to utilizing provisions of CAOA as the premise for an incremental marijuana reform package deal that he’s been discussing with bipartisan and bicameral workplaces.
One other complication in enacting broad legalization is President Joe Biden, who maintains a stiff opposition to the coverage change. As an alternative, he’s campaigned on modest modifications corresponding to decriminalization, rescheduling and persevering with to permit states to set their very own insurance policies.
After greater than a 12 months in workplace, nevertheless, he’s but to take any significant steps to make good on these marketing campaign pledges. And days earlier than the Home handed the MORE Act in April, then-Press Secretary Jen Psaki reaffirmed that Biden’s place on legalization has not modified.
That stated, the White Home drug czar just lately stated that the Biden administration is “monitoring” states which have legalized marijuana to tell federal coverage, recognizing the failures of the present prohibitionist strategy.
The president additionally made his first substantive feedback on hashish coverage this month, reaffirming to reporters that he doesn’t imagine that folks must be in jail over marijuana and stating that his administration is “engaged on” hashish clemency points.
Photograph courtesy of Mike Latimer.
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