Sen. Bernie Sanders suggested Friday that instead of bringing the weight of the criminal justice system down on marijuana users, the United States should use its resources to crack down on corporate crime as prosecutions of law-breaking businesses and white-collar offenders remain at record lows.
Noting that a disproportionate number of those arrested for marijuana possession are poor people and people of color, Sanders (I-Vt.) wrote in an email to supporters that the Justice Department must “start prosecuting the crooks on Wall Street for laundering money from drug cartels, suspected terrorists, and corrupt foreign officials.”
Additionally, the Vermont senator called on Congress to finally legalize marijuana at the federal level, arguing it is an issue of both criminal and economic justice.
“When you fill out an application for a job, one of the first questions you are asked is whether or not you have a criminal record,” Sanders wrote. “It is extremely unfair for people to be denied jobs because they were once arrested for smoking marijuana. Enough is enough.”
Despite Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s (D-N.Y.) vow to prioritize the issue, he has yet to unveil a marijuana legalization bill in the upper chamber as he continues holding talks with members of both parties in an effort to secure the 60 votes needed for passage.
In April, the House approved legislation that would decriminalize marijuana nationwide and expunge federal cannabis…
