U.S. Representative Steve Cohen (D-TN) is set to hold a press conference and policy briefing on Monday, April 20, focused on the lasting impact of incarcerating people for marijuana-related offenses.
The morning press conference will begin at 10 a.m. at the outdoor House Triangle in Washington, D.C. Cohen will be joined by Students for Sensible Drug Policy, the Drug Policy Alliance, Law Enforcement Action Partnership and other drug policy reform organizations.
Later in the day, at 12 p.m., Cohen will host a separate policy briefing in Room 2075 of the Rayburn House Office Building. That event is scheduled to feature four people who were formerly incarcerated in federal prison for nonviolent marijuana-related offenses. The discussion is expected to focus on legislative and policy changes, as well as the broader consequences marijuana criminalization can have on families and communities.
The events are being held on 4/20, a date closely associated with marijuana culture and reform activism, and come as federal marijuana policy remains a major issue in Congress. Although many states have moved to legalize marijuana for medical or adult use, and despite President Trump signing an executive order in December calling on cannabis to be rescheduled, federal law continues to classify it as a Schedule I controlled substance. That conflict has left many people still dealing with criminal penalties tied to conduct that is now legal in much of the country.
Monday’s events appear aimed at keeping attention on the human toll of prohibition, particularly for those who have served time for nonviolent marijuana offenses.
