(WASHINGTON, DC) – Former Congressman and Smart Approaches to Marijuana (SAM) Honorary Chairman Patrick J. Kennedy released the following statement today in advance of Vice President Kamala Harris’ roundtable on criminal justice reform, which is being co-opted by Big Marijuana, the new Big Tobacco:
“For more than a decade we have said people should not be incarcerated for marijuana use while also saying that commercialization should be rejected. However, some groups are co-opting the President’s openness to research and criminal justice reform with full commercialization of big tobacco style marijuana policy.
“Supporters of legalization, especially the addiction-for-profit industry, continue to conflate these two issues as a way of spreading misinformation and confusing the public. Removing criminal penalties, and necessary criminal justice reforms, shouldn’t be viewed as a greenlight to let the industry prey on Americans, especially young people, with commercially produced THC drugs that are medically and scientifically linked to IQ loss, depression, suicidality, psychosis, and schizophrenia, among other consequences.
“According to recent reporting, major progress has been made and no one is in prison today for these offenses. Since his election, President Biden has been resolute in proving criminal justice reform is possible without commercializing today’s industrialized, high-potency THC drugs.”