,,iv #aafth ,,congress #ast ,session ,h4 ,,res4 #afc ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of ,,representatives ,february #bh1 #bjai,ms4 ,lee of ,california 7for herself1 ,mr4 ,blumenauer1 ,mr4 ,perlmutter1 ,ms4 ,ocasio-,cortez1 ,mr4 ,khanna1 and ,ms4 ,pressley7 submitted the following resolution2 which was referred to the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce1 and in addition to the ,committees on the ,judiciary1 and ,education and ,labor1 for a period to be subsequently determined by the ,speaker1 in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned ,,resolution ,urging action to increase equity within the legal cannabis marketplace4 ,whereas the communities that have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition are benefiting the least from the legal marijuana marketplace2 ,whereas a legacy of racial and ethnic injustices1 compounded by the disproportionate collateral consequences of #hj years of cannabis prohibition enforcement1 now limits participation in the industry2 ,whereas #cc ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 ,puerto ,rico1 and ,guam have adopted laws allowing legal access to cannabis1 and #aj ,states1 the ,district of ,columbia1 and the ,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana ,islands have adopted laws legalizing cannabis for adult recreational use2 ,whereas a total of #dg ,states have reformed their laws pertaining to cannabis outside of comport with the ,schedule #a status of marijuana and its ,federal criminalization2 ,whereas legal cannabis sales totaled #i4e billion in #bjag and are projected to reach #bc billion by #bjbb2 ,whereas according to the ,american ,civil ,liberties ,union 7,,aclu71 enforcing cannabis prohibition laws costs taxpayers approximately #c4f billion a year2 ,whereas the continued enforcement of cannabis prohibition laws results in over #fjj1jjj arrests annually1 disproportionately impacting people of color who are almost #d times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than their ,white counterparts1 despite equal rates of use across populations2 ,whereas people of color have been historically targeted by discriminatory sentencing practices resulting in ,black men receiving drug sentences that are #ac4a percent longer than sentences imposed for ,white men and ,latinos being nearly #f4e times more likely to receive a ,federal sentence for cannabis possession than non-,hispanic ,whites2 ,whereas1 in #bjac1 simple cannabis possession was the fourth most common cause of deportation for any offense and the most common cause of deportation for drug law violations2 ,whereas it is estimated that less than #a percent of the cannabis industry is owned or operated by people of color2 ,whereas applicants for cannabis licenses are limited by numerous laws1 regulations1 and exorbitant permit applications and licensing fees in these ,states1 which can total more than #gjj1jjj2 ,whereas historically disproportionate arrest and conviction rates make it particularly difficult for people of color to enter the legal cannabis marketplace1 as most ,states bar these individuals from participating2 ,whereas ,federal law severely limits access to loans and capital for cannabis businesses1 disproportionately impacting minority small business owners2 and ,whereas some ,states and municipalities have taken proactive steps to mitigate inequalities in the legal cannabis marketplace and ensure equal participation in the industry3 ,now1 therefore1 be it #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited as the ,realizing ,equitable ,sustainable ,participation in ,emerging ,cannabis ,trades ,resolution or the ,,respect ,resolution4 #b4 ,best practices and steps to address disparities in the cannabis marketplace participation2 address1 reverse1 and repair certain effects of the war on drugs 7a7 ,in general ,the ,house of ,representatives encourages ,states and localities to adopt best practices and take bold steps referred to in subsection 7b7 to address disparities in the cannabis marketplace participation and to address1 reverse1 and repair the most egregious effects of the ,war on ,drugs on communities of color1 in particular to those who now hold criminal records for a substance that is now legal and regulated4 7b7 ,best practices and steps ,the practices and steps referred to in this subsection include-- 7#a7 establishing licensing and application fees that are reasonable to cover only the costs of program implementation and necessary regulations2 7#b7 creating a system where licensing is to be obtained at the city or county level and should be based on regulations determined by the local jurisdiction that meet the ,state's minimum requirements1 which allows the community to determine the type and number of businesses1 avoids arbitrary caps on licenses1 and results in an industry more representative of the local market2 7#c7 in ,states where license caps are completely unavoidable1 establishing local oversight and control of cannabis licenses by allowing local cities and municipalities to prioritize licenses for local citizens and residents1 especially individuals most impacted by the ,war on ,drugs1 by taking into account and prioritizing-- 7,a7 long-term residency within the ,state or locality2 7,b7 individuals whose income is less than #hj percent of the median household income within a county2 7,c7 individuals who have been formerly incarcerated2 7,d7 individuals with prior drug law violations2 and 7,e7 individuals living within a jurisdiction that is heavily policed2 7#d7 adopting laws and implementing regulations that will allow small cultivators to thrive in the legal market2 7#e7 creating more equitable licensing by-- 7,a7 eliminating broad felony restrictions for licensing2 7,b7 focusing restrictions on entering the market to those1 determined on a case-by-case basis for both licensees and employees1 with criminal convictions that are relevant to the owning and operating of a business2 and 7,c7 prohibiting previous cannabis convictions from consideration as justification for a denial of a license2 7#f7 creating an automatic process1 at no cost for the individual1 for the expungement or sealing of criminal records for cannabis offenses that is inclusive of individuals currently on parole or under any probationary agreement1 for cannabis offenses2 7#g7 establishing a process for resentencing persons serving sentences for cannabis convictions and redesignating of penalties for persons previously convicted of cannabis-related crimes for which the penalties have been reduced or removed2 7#h7 eliminating suspicionless drug testing for nonsafety sensitive positions2 7#i7 eliminating punishment or other penalization for persons currently under parole1 probation1 or other ,state supervision1 or released on bail awaiting trial1 for conduct otherwise allowed under ,state cannabis laws2 7#aj7 setting aside a percentage of the tax revenue from cannabis sales to be reinvested in communities that have been most affected by cannabis arrests and the drug war1 which most frequently have been communities of color1 including programs for job training1 reentry services1 expungement expenses1 public libraries1 community centers1 programs and opportunities dedicated to youth1 and health education programs2 7#aa7 using a percentage of tax revenue to establish a special fund to provide small business investments to support people of color entering into the legal marijuana industry2 7#ab7 establishing cannabis regulatory and oversight bodies and commissions that reflect the racial1 ethnic1 economic1 and gender makeup of the surrounding community2 7#ac7 creating employment and subcontracting requirements for cannabis licensee in order to use the ancillary business activity generated by the cannabis industry to employ people of color2 and 7#ad7 including provisions designating spaces for public consumption1 either by the licensing of social entities or by creating these spaces4