Regulation and Taxation of Marijuana (H 5777, S 0510)

In April, the ACLU testified before the House Judiciary committee in support of legislation to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana use by adults. The “War on Drugs” has resulted in an astronomical number of individuals in jail instead of treatment, and a disproportionate arrest rate for black individuals even though black and white individuals use marijuana at roughly the same rate. Current prohibition practices have resulted in overcrowded prisons, not the reduction of drug use or exposure of children to drugs. This legislation, for which the ACLU also testified before the Senate Judiciary committee in June, would have allowed for the production of marijuana and sale only to adults over the age of 21, making it more difficult for drugs to get in the hands of children while emphasizing drug treatment over incarceration and avoiding the disproportionate drug criminalizing of black and Hispanic users. Neither bill received a committee vote.