First-Ever Congressional Bill To Decriminalize All Drugs Announced Ahead Of Nixon Drug War Anniversary
Reps. Bonnie Watson Coleman (D-NJ) and Cori Bush (D-MO) introduced a new bill, the Drug Policy Reform Act (DRPA) that would end incarceration for possessing any illicit drug. The bill will be filed on June 18, exactly 50 years after Richard Nixon declared a war on drugs that has contributed to racial inequality and higher incarceration rates than any other country. The DRPA would make it illegal to deny employment for simple drug possession or to require drug testing to receive federal benefits, and would also reinvest funds in harm reduction programs.