No Cannabis Legalization In Pennsylvania Without Our Support, Says Black Caucus Urging For Restorative Justice And Social Equity
Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus said Tuesday that any cannabis legalization law must contain policies concerning restorative justice and social equity.
Members of the Caucus said that any bill carries a risk of failing without their support, writes CNHI News.
“It is time that we invest in the restoration of communities that have been impacted, we return incarcerated persons to their families, and we provide entrepreneurs with a pathway to lead in this emerging marketplace,” Rep. Napoleon Nelson, chair of the Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus, said during a press conference in the Capitol Rotunda.
More than a dozen representatives and senators came together in the State Capitol Rotunda to present their requests for a cannabis adult-use program.
Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) called on lawmakers to legalize cannabis in his budget address in February. Policymakers and advocates are no longer quite so optimistic that reform will take place any time soon. The Citizens’ Voice’s Stephen Caruso recently pointed out that opposition from a “lawmaker who controls what legislation the GOP-majority state Senate considers,” is still strong.
Nonetheless, as lawmakers continue to work …