Congressman Kennedy was a longtime and ardent opponent of marijuana reform until recently. When he was elected fresh out of law school with zero qualifications, is much more interested in taking pharmaceuticals' money than "potentially dangerous" marijuana legalization https://theintercept.com/2018/01/31/joe-kennedy-response-opioid-crisis/
Upon the enactment of Massachusettes' legalization, Rep Kennedy authored an op-ed where he announced his evolution on the issue. https://www.statnews.com/2018/11/20/joe-kennedy-legalize-marijuana-federal-level/
As a member of the Energy and Commerce Committee, during a legislative hearing on the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment, and Expungement Act, Rep. Kennedy likely delayed the bill moving forward by calling for an additional hearing prior to a committee vote on the bill. https://blog.norml.org/2020/01/15/house-energy-and-commerce-subcommittee-considers-cannabis-policies-for-the-new-decade/
H.R.3884 - Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act of 2019
On legalization for recreational use, "concerns about what increased avaliability of marijuana means for adolescencts, folks that are struct with addiction, mental health" "The federal laws on this are completely comprehensive. What Jeff Sessions and this administration are doing are making it worse" "I acknowledge that I am an outlier on this. I just think it's something that we want to be careful and deliberate about as we move forward."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-tAeO60Qz4
4/5/18