Wagner cites ‘family and the safety of our children’ for hesitation on drug reform

As efforts are being made to ease the integration of the cannabis industry into the economy, laws are being proposed that will not only benefit small businesses but also assist those who have been negatively affected by anti-marijuana measures. The Marijuana Opportunity and Expungement Act (H.R. 3884) is one of the major bills on the docket that, if passed, could potentially reverse the damage for both past and present offenses.

A concerned citizen, referred to in this article as ‘Judy,’ wrote a letter to Congresswoman Ann Wagner, Missouri’s 2nd congressional district congresswoman, expressing her concern regarding H.R. 3884 (Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act). Congresswoman Wagner wrote back.

In the letter, Congresswoman Wagner writes, “As you may know, H.R. 3884 was introduced by Representative Jerrold Nadler (NY-10) on July 23, 2019. This bill would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level by removing the substance from the Controlled Substances Act. This applies retroactively to prior and pending convictions, and enables states to set their own policy.”

Wagner continued, stating in the letter that she and her fellow congressmen want to be as thorough as possible as they continue to promote and develop this legislation. While there is still an outdated sentiment that marijuana could be a gateway to more addictive drugs such as opiates and cocaine within the discussion, Wagner’s main concern is how this would affect children and their families.

“There is considerable controversy regarding drug policy reform. This controversy ranges from the costs necessary to enforce current law to its potential to cause harm throughout society, such as low productivity and health concerns. There are concerns that legalizing marijuana would open the door to legalizing other drugs such as opiates, cocaine, and hallucinogens. My primary concern in these discussions is the effect any changes to our drug policies would have on families and the safety of our children,” explained the Congresswoman.

Regardless, the consideration that must be made when developing any kind of legislation will always be incredibly thorough. Parts of Congress will be covering as many bases as they can as they continue to promote H.R. 3884.

Congresswoman concluded in her email, “We must carefully weigh the costs and benefits of drug policy reform and ensure any changes are geared towards combating addiction and keeping illegal drugs off our streets.”

The Marijuana Opportunity and Expungement Act currently resides in the House and hasn’t been removed from the table or any other orders since November 21, 2019.