Solano lawmaker voices support for federal marijuana legalization
Congressman John Garamendi threw his support behind a pro-pot proposal that would decriminalize cannabis throughout the country.
(File photo)
Congressman John Garamendi this week said he was in favor of a proposal that would legalize marijuana across the United States.
In a social media post, Garamendi put his support in blunt terms: “It’s time to legalize marijuana,” he wrote.
His post on Wednesday came after members of the House of Representatives voted overwhelmingly to pass the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which would remove marijuana from a federal list of controlled substances, effectively decriminalizing it.
Supporters of the measure say federal law has not kept up with laws passed in 18 states where recreational use of cannabis is legal. That disparity means federal authorities are still allowed to prosecute individuals and companies for marijuana-related activity, including the sale, possession and use of cannabis.
Marijuana-related prosecutions were curbed during the Obama administration when officials at the Department of Justice said they would not commit significant resources to pursuing cannabis sales or use in states where voters made the substance legal. That informal policy was reversed during the Trump administration, leading to calls from advocates and lawmakers for a change in the law.
Garamendi’s comments on Wednesday came as marijuana enthusiasts were celebrating an informal holiday known as “Four-Twenty.” The lawmaker took advantage of the holiday to reaffirm his support for federal marijuana legalization.
“Marijuana criminalization has left millions of Americans with a criminal record for the possession of a drug now legalized in 18 states,” he said.
The MORE Act would help remedy this by allowing people with marijuana-related federal convictions to have their records expunged. It would also establish a trust fund to help financially support programs focused on providing support to individuals and businesses in communities that were impacted by the decades-long war on drugs.
This month’s vote by the House of Representatives is seen by policy experts as largely symbolic, noting that the MORE Act is unlikely to advance beyond the U.S. Senate, where it would need the support of at least 60 lawmakers to pass.
The vote in the House of Representatives was split along party lines, with all but two Democrats favoring the measure and most Republicans rejecting it. In the evenly-split Senate, some Democrats have voiced their opposition to changing the law.
Garamendi represents California’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes most of Solano County. The county’s other federal representative, Congressman Mike Thompson, also voted in favor of the MORE Act.
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