,,iv  #aae? ,,congress  #b;d ,session   
,h4 ,,res4 #icc  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,june #ab1 #bjah,mrs4 
,watson ,coleman 7= h]self1 ,ms4 ,bass1 
,mrs4 ,beatty1 ,mr4 ,blum5au]1 ,ms4     
,cl>ke ( ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,cleav]1 ,ms4 
,fudge1 ,ms4 ,gabb>d1 ,mr4 ,ha/+s1 ,ms4 
,jackson ,lee1 ,ms4 ,jayapal1 ,mr4      
,jeffries1 ,ms4 ,eddie ,b]nice ,johnson 
( ,texas1 ,ms4 ,kelly ( ,ill9ois1 ,mr4  
,khanna1 ,mrs4 ,lawr5ce1 ,mr4 ,lawson ( 
,florida1 ,ms4 ,lee1 ,mr4 ,lewis (      
,georgia1 ,mr4 ,t$ ,lieu ( ,cali=nia1   
,mr4 ,mc,eachin1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,ms4      
,norton1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 
,david ,scott ( ,georgia1 ,mr4 ,s]rano1 
& ,mr4 ,?ompson ( ,mississippi7 submitt$
 ! foll[+ resolution2 :i* 0 ref]r$ to ! 
,committee on ,en]gy & ,comm]ce1 & 9    
addition to ! ,committee on ! ,judici>y1
 = a p]iod to be subsequ5tly det]m9$ by 
! ,speak]1 9 ea* case = consid]ation (  
su* provisions z fall )9 ! jurisdiction 
( ! committee conc]n$  ,,resolution  ,to
 ackn[l$ge t ! ,w> on ,drugs has be5 a  

fail$ policy 9 a*iev+ ! goal ( r$uc+    
drug use1 & = ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives 
to apologize to ! individuals &         
communities t 7 victimiz$ by ?is policy4
  ,:]eas1 until ! e>ly #aijjs1 mo/ (    
today's illegal sub/ances 7 n regulat$  
by ! ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t1 & !re 0 no ,w> on
 ,drugs2 ,:]eas1 9 ! #aicjs1 ! fir/     
,commission] ( ! ,f$]al ,bureau (       
,n>cotics1 ,h>ry ,j4 ,ansl+]1 :o 0 a    
/rong oppon5t to m>ijuana1 pu%$ a heavy 
propag&a campaign to demonize m>ijuana  
use1 /at+ t x caus$ p to be viol5t &    
crim9als2 ,:]eas mu* ( ?is propag&a 0   
racially *>g$ aga9/ ! ,mexican-,am]ican 
community1 = example z ,commission]     
,ansl+] te/ifi$ to ! #ge? ,congress 9   
#aicg t1 ,i wi% ,i c\ld %[ y :at a small
 m>ijuana cig>ette c d to "o ( our      
deg5]ate ,spani% speak+ resid5ts4 ,t's  
:y our problem is s great2 ! greate/    
p]c5tage ( our population is compos$ (  
,spani%-speak+ p]sons1 mo/ ( :o are l[  
m5tally1 because ( social & racial      
conditions2 ,:]eas1 9 #aicg1 ! #ge?     

,congress pass$ ! ,m>ijuana ,tax ,act   
:i* crim9aliz$ m>ijuana1 & laws pass$   
dur+ ! foll[+ ye>s 7 introduc$ to       
in/itute m&atory m9imum s5t5ces = ^? :o 
b\ght1 sold1 & us$ ! drug2 ,:]eas ov] ! 
c\rse ( ! next few decades1 /udies      
conduct$ by sci5ti/s did n f9d any      
connection betwe5 ! use ( m>ijuana &    
viol5t behaviors1 & 9 #aigc ! ,%af]     
,commission ,report on ,m>ijuana &      
,drugs conclud$ t1 ,! ,commission       
believes t ! contempor>y ,am]ican drug  
problem has em]g$ 9 "p f our            
in/itutional response to drug use4 '''  
,we h fail$ to weave policy into !      
fabric ( social in/itutions42 ,:]eas    
despite m\nt+ evid5ce1 ! ,f$]al         
,gov]nm5t's approa* to ! abuse ( drugs  
cont9u$ to be "o ( crim9aliz+ drug abuse
 in/ead ( treatm5t2 ,:]eas1 on ,june    
#ah1 #aiga1 ,presid5t ,ri*>d ,nixon     
decl>$ ! ,w> on ,drugs1 /at+ t drug     
abuse is public enemy numb] "o2 ,:]eas !
 ,f$]al ,gov]nm5t's attitude t[>d drug  
use z a crim9al problem only int5sifi$ )

 /rict] drug laws1 & ! ,gov]nm5t put    
little to no focus on treat+ ^? impact$2
 ,:]eas ! ,w> on ,drugs 0 admitt$ to be 
a move by ! ,nixon adm9i/ration to      
attack 8 political oppon5ts1 & 9 #aiid1 
,presid5t ,ri*>d ,nixon's aide ,john    
,ehrli*man admitt$ 9 an int]view t ! ,w>
 on ,drugs 0 a tool to arre/ &          
manipulate ,blacks & lib]als /at+1 ,we  
knew we c\ldn't make x illegal to be    
ei!r aga9/ ! w> or black1 b by gett+ !  
public to associate ! hippies ) m>ijuana
 & blacks ) h]o91 & !n crim9aliz+ bo?   
heavily1 we c\ld disrupt ^? communities4
 ,we c\ld arre/ _! lead]s1 raid _!      
homes1 break up _! meet+s1 & vilify !m  
night aft] night on ! ev5+ news4 ,did we
 "k we 7 ly+ ab\t ! drugs8 ,( c\rse we  
did42 ,:]eas 9 #aihf1 ! #ii? ,congress  
pass$ ! ,anti-,drug ,abuse ,act         
e/abli%+1 = ! fir/ "t1 m&atory m9imum   
s5t5ces = ^? convict$ ( hav+ specific   
am\nts ( coca9e2 ,:]eas1 9 #aihi1 drug  
cz> ,william ,b5nett ann\nc$ a          
#g1ijj1jjj1jjj plan to combat ! drug    

epidemic1 b #gj p]c5t ( t am\nt w5t to  
hir+ m law en=cem5t p]sonnel & build+   
prisons2 ,:]eas t money c\ld h be5 bett]
 us$ to help provide treatm5t to !      
victims ( ^? on h]o91 coca9e1 & o!r     
drugs2 ,:]eas1 9 #aihf1 ! #ii? ,congress
 increas$ ! s5t5ces = deal+ & possess+  
crack coca9e1 & 9 a few ye>s1 enhanc$   
law en=cem5t pres5ce loom$ ov] &        
aggressively polic$ communities ( color2
 ,:]eas to ?is day1 ^! laws greatly     
t>get communities ( color1 dramatically 
increas+ ! inc>c]ation rate ( ^!        
communities & impos+ a /igma t p ( color
 are ! ma9 us]s ( drugs1 despite ,:ite  
,am]icans us+ at a simil> if n great]   
rate2 ,:]eas ,pr(essor ( ,sociology at !
 ,univ]sity ( ,cali=nia ,santa ,cruz1   
,craig ,re9>man1 & ,pr(essor (          
,sociology at ,que5s ,college1 ,h>ry ,g4
 ,lev9e1 /udi$ ! use ( crack coca9e 9 ! 
,unit$ ,/ates & lat] publi%$ 9 _! book1 
entitl$ ,crack 9 ,am]ica1 :i* /at$ t1 ,9
 ! spr+ ( #aihf1 ,am]ican politicians & 
news m$ia began an extraord9>y anti-drug

 fr5zy t ran until #aiib4 ,newspap]s1   
magaz9es & television networks regul>ly 
c>ri$ lurid /ories ab\t a new epidemic  
or plague ( drug use1 especially ( crack
 coca9e4 ,!y said ?is epidemic 0 spread+
 rapidly f cities to ! suburbs & 0      
de/roy+ ,am]ican society4 ,x is c]ta9ly 
true t ! ,unit$ ,/ates has real heal? & 
social problems t result f illegal &    
legal drug use4 ,b x is c]ta9ly also    
true t ! p]iod f #aihf ?r\gh #aiib 0    
*>act]iz$ by anti-drug extremism42      
,:]eas ! use ( opiates su* z oxycodone1 
hydrocodone1 me?adone1 h]o91 & f5tanyl  
has skyrocket$ s9ce ! late #aiijs & !   
am\nt ( prescription opioids legally    
sold ne>ly quadrupl$ f #aiii to #bjaj1  
despite no *ange 9 ! am\nt ( pa9 t      
,am]icans report$2 ,:]eas ! ,national   
,c5t] = ,heal? ,/ati/ics sugge/$ t !re 7
 m ?an #fd1jjj drug ov]dose dea?s 9     
#bjaf1 & t a majority ( ^! dea?s come f 
syn!tic opioids l f5tanyl2 ,:]eas ^!    
drug ov]doses h become ! lead+ cause (  
accid5tal dea?1 surpass+ c> accid5ts2   

,:]eas1 on ,m>* #bi1 #bjag1 ,presid5t   
,donald ,trump sign$ an ,executive ord] 
to e/abli% ! ,presid5t's ,commission on 
,combat+ ,drug ,addiction & ! ,opioid   
,crisis1 & 9 a prelim9>y report !       
,commission has recomm5d$ t ! opioid    
crisis1 among o!r ?+s1 %\ld be decl>$ a 
national em]g5cy "u ei!r ! ,public      
,heal? ,s]vice ,act or ! ,/af=d ,act2   
,:]eas _m s*ol>s1 j\rnali/s1 & civic    
lead]s h address$ ! /rong contra/ to !  
urg5cy ( help+ ^? impact$ by opioids    
comp>$ to ^? :o 7 impact$ by crack      
coca9e & o!r sub/ances dur+ ! ,w> on    
,drugs2 ,:]eas ! t]m9ology us$ to       
describe ^? impact$ by ! opioid epidemic
 is victims1 & ! t]m9ology us$ to       
describe ^? impact$ by ! ,w> on ,drugs  
is crim9als2 ,:]eas if ! concept (      
equity 0 consid]$1 mean+ t individuals  
fairly receive :at !y ne$ 9 ord] to     
create a level play+ field1 ! same funds
 & support go+ to help ^? impact$ by    
opioids w also g to help ^? impact$ by  
h]o91 coca9e1 & ! o!r drugs classifi$ 9 

! ,w> on ,drugs2 ,:]eas z /at$ by       
,georget[n ,univ]sity ,pr(essor ,mi*ael 
,eric ,dyson1 ,:ite bro!rs & si/]s h be5
 m$icaliz$ 9 t]ms ( _! trauma &         
addiction4 ,black & br[n p h be5        
crim9aliz$ = _! trauma & addiction42    
,:]eas1 on ,octob] #bf1 #bjag1 ,presid5t
 ,donald ,trump decl>$ ! opioid epidemic
 a public heal? em]g5cy1 :i* all[s      
access to ! ,public ,heal? ,em]g5cy     
,fund at ! ,dep>tm5t ( ,heal? & ,human  
,s]vices1 :i* has only t5s ( ?\s&s (    
doll>s2 & ,:]eas !re has be5 no =mal    
action by ! ,unit$ ,/ates ,gov]nm5t to  
treat ! epidemic ( drug abuse & ! ,w> on
 ,drugs z a heal? issue3 ,n[1 !re=e1 be 
x  ,t x is ! s5se ( ! ,h\se (           
,repres5tatives t-- 7#a7 ! ,w> on ,drugs
 has fail$ to a*ieve its goal ( r$uc+   
drug use2  7#b7 ! ,w> on ,drugs has     
creat$ conditions 9 ! ,unit$ ,/ates t   
has all[$ ! opioid epidemic to be z     
deadly z x is2  7#c7 ! ,w> on ,drugs is 
a racially *>g$ policy t has l$ to !    
mass inc>c]ation ( millions ( ,am]icans1

 disproportionately affect+ communities 
( color1 /igmatiz$ ^! communities z !   
cause ( ! drug problem1 & has           
economically1 politically1 & socially   
crippl$ ^! communities = decades2  7#d7 
9 ord] to help ^? impact$1 drug use has 
to be se5 z a heal? issue & n a crim9al 
issue2  7#e7 ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives  
%\ld seek to h]eby reconsid] all laws   
associat$ & consi/5t ) ! ,w> on ,drugs1 
& prioritizes effective1 evid5ce-bas$   
heal? policy solutions = individuals &  
communities suff]+ f addiction2  7#f7 ! 
,h\se ( ,repres5tatives %\ld enact civil
 rem$ies & re/orative ju/ice = any      
individual :o has be5 inc>c]at$ or      
o!rwise puni%$ ?r\gh ! ,f$]al crim9al   
ju/ice sy/em due to laws associat$ &    
consi/5t ) ! ,w> on ,drugs2  7#g7       
,congress affirms t all individuals     
suff]+ f ! disease ( addiction be treat$
 humanely1 ) equity & respect z all p   
/ruggl+ ) any o!r heal? matt]2 &  7#h7 !
 ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives h]eby          
apologizes to ! individuals &           

communities h>m$ ?r\gh ! ,w> on ,drugs &
 ackn[l$ges t actions by ?is body h     
demoniz$ & criminaliz$ addiction = m ?an
 #hj ye>s in/ead ( accurately treat+ x z
 a heal? conc]n4