With marijuana legalization again on the table in the Pennsylvania legislature, Black lawmakers in the state who’ve long championed reform are sharing their perspectives on the urgency of ending prohibition with a focus on social justice.
At the Black Cannabis Week event hosted by the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities (DACO) last week, Sen. Sharif Street (D) and Reps. Chris Rabb (D), Amen Brown (D), Darisha Parker (D) and Napoleon Nelson (D) joined activists to discuss their legislative priorities and motivations behind advancing legalization in the Keystone State.
As Election Day approaches, Nelson stressed that Pennsylvania lawmakers face a challenge in legislating in a state that’s “this weird battleground that the rest of the nation just kind of looks at with an eyebrow raised,” suggesting that the unique political dynamic could complicate passing something like marijuana legalization.
“We got to figure out how in the world we can provide those opportunities that meet everybody” in an equitable manner, he said.
“There are plenty of folks who have already taken a bite out of this apple,” the representative said, referencing the enactment of legalization in surrounding states such as New York.
He added that Pennsylvania’s experience could be partly shaped by
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