Sen. Bernie Sanders doesn't get enough credit for his sense of humor.
On Thursday, the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate tweeted out his comprehensive plans to legalize marijuana and combat "the destructive war on drugs." The tweet was shared at exactly 4:20 p.m. ET, which was an obvious wink to the cannabis culture.
As of now, weed is legal in 11 states as well as Washington, D.C., but remains illegal on the federal level. Sanders, who has been a longtime proponent of legalization, has vowed to legalize weed within 100 days via executive action and then push for legislation that would "ensure permanent legalization of marijuana."
"While Congress must aggressively move to end the war on drugs and undo its damage, as president Bernie will not wait for Congress to act," the plan reads.
Sanders also pointed out the ways the war on drugs have hurt communities of color and how weed criminalization has resulted in disproportionate incarceration rates. In an effort to remedy this, the progressive lawmaker said his administration will expunge marijuana-related convictions—on both the state and federal level—and ensure that revenue from legal cannabis industry "is reinvested in communities hit hardest by the War on Drugs." Sanders said he will do this by creating a $20 billion grant program for POC entrepreneurs who "face discrimination in access to capital"; he has also proposed another $10 billion grant program for businesses primarily owned by individuals "in disproportionately impacted areas or individuals who have been arrested for or convicted of marijuana offenses."
"We will also ensure that every community in the country has the resources they need to address our opioid addiction crisis and prevent the abuse of other hard drugs," the plan reads. "And we will work with states to fund and pursue innovative overdose prevention initiatives."
You can read Sanders' full proposal, which also takes aim at Big Tobacco, here.
