Cannabis Decriminalization & Reinvestment Act.pdf

Decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, provide reinvestment for communities impacted by the War on Drugs, facilitate expungement of certain cannabis offenses.
- Introduced by: Jerry Nadler, Barbara Lee, Earl Blumenauer, et al. (104 co-sponsors)
- Committee: Judiciary, Energy and Commerce, Agriculture, Education and Labor, Ways and Means, Small Business, Natural Resources, Oversight and Reform
- Findings:
- Cannabis prohibition has disproportionately harmed communities of color.
- 33 states and D.C. have legalized medical cannabis, and 11 states and D.C. have legalized recreational use.
- Legal cannabis sales totaled $9.5 billion in 2017 and are projected to reach $23 billion by 2022.
- Cannabis prohibition enforcement costs taxpayers $3.6 billion annually and results in over 600,000 arrests, disproportionately impacting people of color.
- Minorities are underrepresented in the legal cannabis industry.
- Key Provisions:
- Removes cannabis from the list of controlled substances (Schedule I).
- Establishes a Cannabis Justice Office to address the harms of cannabis prohibition.
- Provides for expungement of certain cannabis offenses.
- Allows for resentencing of individuals incarcerated for cannabis offenses.
- Establishes a Community Reinvestment Fund to support communities most affected by cannabis prohibition.
- Imposes a 5% tax on cannabis products to fund the Community Reinvestment Fund.