Indopedia All Things Marijuana
Despite the fact that cannabis legalization has spread like wildfire across the United States, federal prohibition continues to handicap the growth of this budding industry. These long held laws that many states use to criminalize the plant are based on the “Marihuana Tax Act of 1937”, legislation that was pushed by Harry Anslinger and ultimately paved the way for states to go after marijuana users, particularly minorities.
Connecticut-based lawyer named Aaron Romano is trying to change all that, arguing that many of these laws are unconstitutional because the 80 year-old federal act is deeply rooted in racism, disproportionately afflicting African-American and Mexican communities. According to the attorney, since Connecticut’s state-level cannabis prohibition is based on this federal law, it is also ingrained with bigotry and should not be permissible.
“It was racially motivated and states just adopted it wholesale. With the growing awareness of cannabis’ health benefits … at this point there is no reason to maintain its illegal status,” Romano told the Associated Press.
The Bloomfield lawyer is currently using his bold assertion in a Connecticut drug…
