,,iv  #aaf? ,,congress  #a/ ,session    
,h4 ,,res4 #gdg  ,,9 ,,! ,,h\se ,,(     
,,repres5tatives  ,decemb] #f1          
#bjai,mrs4 ,watson ,coleman 7= h]self1  
,mr4 ,takano1 ,ms4 ,lee ( ,cali=nia1    
,ms4 ,norton1 ,mr4 ,lewis1 ,ms4         
,s*ak[sky1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,ms4 ,pressley1 
,ms4 ,wilson ( ,florida1 ,mr4 ,?ompson (
 ,mississippi1 ,mr4 ,payne1 ,mr4        
,hors=d1 ,ms4 ,johnson ( ,texas1 ,ms4   
,fudge1 ,ms4 ,bass1 ,mr4 ,br[n ( ,m>yl&1
 ,ms4 ,adams1 ,ms4 ,cl>ke ( ,new ,york1 
,mr4 ,cleav]1 ,mr4 ,danny ,k4 ,davis (  
,ill9ois1 & ,mr4 ,pocan7 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     
,ackn[l$g+ t ! ,w> on ,drugs has be5 a  
fail$ 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 become viol5t &
 crim9als2 ,:]eas mu* ( ?is propag&a 0  
racially *>g$ aga9/ ! ,mexican-,am]ican 
community1 = example1 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 use '''   
,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 ,:]eas1 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 ^? 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 ,:]eas1 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+ drugs at a simil> if n great] rate2 
,:]eas ,pr(essor ( ,sociology at !      
,univ]sity ( ,cali=nia1 ,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 #gj1bjj drug ov]dose dea?s 9     
#bjag1 & 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    
,:]eas aft] almo/ #ej ye>s1 ! ,w> on    
,drugs has yet to a*ieve its goal2 &    
,:]eas !re has be5 no =mal action by !  
,unit$ ,/ates ,gov]nm5t to treat !      
epidemic ( ov]all drug abuse & to treat 
! ,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 h 
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 has /igmatiz$ ^! communities z !
 cause ( ! drug problem1 & has          
economically1 politically1 & socially   
crippl$ ^! communities = decades2  7#d7 
! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives condemns !    
actions & role ,h>ry ,j4 ,ansl+] play$ 9

 creat+ ! ,w> on ,drugs2  7#e7 9 ord] to
 help ^? impact$1 drug use has to be se5
 z a heal? issue & n a crim9al issue2   
7#f7 ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives %\ld     
imm$iately halt any & all actions t w\ld
 all[ ! ,w> on ,drugs to cont9ue2  7#g7 
! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives enc\rages !   
creation ( a select committee t w\ld be 
task$ 9 review+ all laws associat$ &    
consi/5t ) ! ,w> on ,drugs & prioritiz+ 
effective1 evid5ce-bas$ heal? policy    
solutions = individuals & communities   
suff]+ f addiction2  7#h7 ! ,h\se (     
,repres5tatives %\ld pass legislation t 
w\ld provide 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#i7 ! ,h\se ( ,repres5tatives affirms t
 all individuals suff]+ f ! disease (   
addiction be treat$ humanely1 & ) ! same
 respect z all p /ruggl+ ) any o!r heal?
 matt]2 &  7#aj7 ! ,h\se (              
,repres5tatives h]eby apologizes to !   

individuals & communities h>m$ ?r\gh !  
,w> on ,drugs & ackn[l$ges t actions by 
?is body h demoniz$ & crim9aliz$        
addiction = m ?an #hj ye>s in/ead (     
accurately treat+ x z a heal? conc]n4