78 Students for Sensible Drug Policy Chapters Call On Congress To End Federal Marijuana Prohibition

For Immediate Release

Primary contact: Rob Hofmann, United States Outreach and Policy Coordinator, Students for Sensible Drug Policy
(607) 316-0227, robert@ssdp.org

Secondary Contact: Jason Ortiz, Executive Director of Students for Sensible Drug Policy
(860) 639-8101, jason@ssdp.org

Today, 78 Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) chapters sent a letter to Speaker Pelosi, House Majority Leader Hoyer, and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy urging the swift passage of the the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, H.R. 3617, in the House of Representatives this month.

There is a growing consensus that criminalizing marijuana and people who consume marijuana only exacerbates and contributes to poverty, violence, mass deportation, and mass incarceration. By ending federal marijuana prohibition and establishing a community reinvestment fund to repair the harms of racial biased drug war enforcement, the MORE Act is a comprehensive reform bill. Young people will be able to pursue their education and career paths without the threat of a marijuana arrest derailing their lives. 

Additionally, it is currently estimated that less than one percent of the marijuana industry is owned or operated by people of color. The MORE Act addresses the collateral consequences of federal marijuana criminalization and takes steps to ensure the legal marketplace is diverse and inclusive of individuals most adversely affected by prohibition. 

“Students and youth, particularly Latinx and Black youth, have borne the brunt of marijuana criminalization. It’s past time that marijuana policy addresses the destruction brought upon youth due to current legislation. The MORE Act represents a modest but essential first step toward repairing the harm wrought by the War on Drugs.” stated Sarah Noon, SSDP’s United States Federal Policy Liaison

SSDP calls on Speaker Pelosi and Majority Leader Hoyer to move the bill towards a vote on the House Floor as quickly as possible. With Senate leaders expected to introduce their own comprehensive marijuana reform bill in the near future, swift passage of MORE in the House will set the bar high and encourage the Senate to move quickly on their bill as well.  

The full letter and all SSDP chapter signatures can be seen here. For more information, contact SSDP’s U.S. Policy Council at policy@ssdp.org.