On the recordDecember 7, 2020
It was sad that my Republican colleagues were unable to understand why we voted to reform our failed prohibition of cannabis. They don't care about honoring the will of the people and they are unable to grasp the enormity of the racial injustice and damage by selective enforcement against young Black and Brown Americans. But the CBO score may have some other reasons for them. It shows that the MORE Act would reduce 73,000 person-years of prison time, saving $1 billion. It would increase revenues by $13.7 billion. It would provide $3 billion for job training and legal aid to people harmed by the war on drugs. While doing all of this, it would reduce the Federal deficit by $7.344 billion. Even if you don't care about reducing the damage to Black and Brown Americans or honoring the will of the people, the economics make it clear: Once again, the people are right, and the policy deserves strong congressional support. ____________________
