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Elizabeth Warren Unveils Plan for Legalizing Marijuana

The senator’s plan would reduce federal funding for police in states that refuse to legalize marijuana if racial disparities in cannabis arrests persist.

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) announced a new plan on Sunday to battle “Big Tobacco” and reduce federal funding for police in states that do not legalize marijuana if racial disparities in the number of marijuana arrests remain static. Warren, who has co-sponsored numerous cannabis bills such as the STATES Act and the Marijuana Justice Act, proposes regulations that would “preserve market access and competition.” She would also reportedly tap people who support marijuana legalization to head the Department of Justice, the Food and Drug Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Office of National Drug Control Policy. Her plan, which would not seek to enact cannabis legalization across the country on day one, would also aid those who have been convicted but want to work in the legal marijuana industry. Her social equity plan would include $500 million in funds annually to restore “damage done to communities that have been unjustly targeted by marijuana enforcement.”