Hawaiian Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard proposed a bill in late February that, if passed, would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level, releasing the Department of Justices’ hold on the drug and the states that have legalized it.
Controversial progressive Tulsi Gabbard has proposed several bold bills in recent months, the most recent of which is this bill, which she proposed in a bipartisan move with Congressman Scott Taylor of Virgnina.
Co-signing H.R. 1227 “The Ending Federal Marijuana Prohibition Act,” Gabbard and Republican Taylor indicate that the removal of taboo and harsh penalties on marijuana consumption and production is no longer a strictly liberal platform.
Since the bill was proposed on February 27, several other Democrats and Republicans have signed on, including Jared Polis of Colorado (D), Earl Blumenauer of Oregon (D), Don Young of Arkansas (R), Justin Amash of Michigan (R), and Dana Rohrabacher of California (R).
So far, the bill has been referred to the House Energy and Commerce Committee, as well as the House Judiciary. Last week, it was referred to the subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism, Homeland Security, and Investigations, where it will likely meet its strongest resistance.
If passed, this bipartisan bill would have a major effect on the nation’s criminal justice system both at the federal and local level. By having a realistic view on marijuana in the age of opioid epidemic, we can use our law enforcement and prison industries more effectively to handle real crime, while leaving low-level drug offenders who merely want to buy a bit of weed.
Gabbard’s decisive move on this bill which is no doubt extremely popular with her base is just the most recent in a long list of moves made by the Congresswoman. While many of her actions remain controversial with the establishment, Gabbard no doubt knows that many progressives are watching her closely – and liking what they see.
Watch Gabbard urge her colleagues to support her bipartisan bill:
Rep. @TulsiGabbard urges colleagues to support H.R. 1227 "The Ending Federal #Marijuana Prohibition Act" (@Tulsipress) pic.twitter.com/IA4i0wcFCB
— CSPAN (@cspan) March 21, 2017
