On the recordMay 28, 2014
It has been culturally accepted not in your area, but in some cultures it has. And in the African American community, you are eight times more likely to be arrested and sent to jail because of the color of your skin. It has a disparate impact on minorities. It always has. If you go back to the genesis of the laws in the thirties, it was made illegal because of discrimination against Hispanics. And in the seventies, Nixon spoke out, as did Haldeman and Ehrlichman, and they said this is something we can't talk about, African Americans in the inner city, but we can take their drug of choice and make it illegal. I yield back the balance of my time. The Acting CHAIR. Members are reminded to direct their remarks to the Chair.
