Aug 5, 2017

Where marijuana legalization stands in the U.S.

Haley Britzky

Sen. Cory Booker introduced the Marijuana Justice Act on Tuesday, which aims to legalize marijuana on the federal level. The bill also "incentivizes states through federal funds to change their marijuana laws" if the laws have shown a "disproportionate effect" on low-income citizens or people of color.

Why it matters: Marijuana arrests "account for over half of all drug arrests in the United States," per ACLU data. And Booker said African Americans are almost four times as likely to be arrested for possession as white citizens, despite similar use.

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Data: National Conference of State Legislatures, National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws; Cartogram: Andrew Witherspoon / Axios

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Ursula Perano

Cory Booker drops out of the 2020 presidential race

Cory Booker. Photo: Joshua Lott/Getty Images

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) announced Monday that he is dropping out of the 2020 presidential race.

The big picture: Although Booker was seen as a rising star in Democratic politics, he struggled to shine in the 2020 race. In recent weeks, he focused his ire on the dwindling diversity in the Democratic field, saying in December that the race had "more billionaires than black people" after Kamala Harris' departure.

Go deeperArrowJan 13, 2020
Marisa Fernandez

Teen drug use in 5 stats

Drug use among teenagers is dropping, according to new federal statistics published in JAMA on Wednesday. Fewer teens are abusing prescription drugs, alcohol and cigarettes.

Between the lines: Marijuana use is steady overall, but has shifted from smoking to vaping — and vaping THC products can be dangerous.

Go deeperArrowDec 18, 2019
Ursula Perano

Booker leads 2020 candidates in missed votes amid presidential bid

Data: Quorum; Chart: Danielle Alberti/Axios

Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.) has missed more votes than any other member of Congress running for president, according to data from Quorum.

The big picture: The New Jersey lawmaker's campaign has failed to gain traction, and he did not qualify for the December debate due to low polling. He has not yet qualified for the January debate either. Booker has previously warned that insufficient fundraising could cause him to drop out of the race.

Go deeperArrowJan 9, 2020