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Defending the District's Voter-Passed Marijuana Legalization Law

December 11, 2014
Blog

District of Columbia voters passed the most restrictive marijuana reform law in the country, allowing possession of small amounts of marijuana for personal use only. Four states have passed marijuana legalization laws.

The city was motivated by two independent studies revealing shameful racial disparities in marijuana possession arrests. Ninety percent of arrests are of African Americans, although Blacks and White use marijuana at the same rate in a city that is 50/50 Black and White.

Do not expect residents to tolerate unequal treatment of the District of Columbia, a jurisdiction of federal taxpaying Americans, and on top of that, discrimination against African Americans who live here.

I am trying to find a way around the anti-democratic language in the fiscal year 2015 omnibus spending bill that bullies the District of Columbia.

Congress must find its way out of the local affairs of residents of the District of Columbia, who pay the highest federal taxes per capita, but whose Member must stand by and watch every Member of this House, except the Member who represents the District of Columbia, vote on matters affecting her district.