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| Friend, It’s 4/20. You’ll likely see many marijuana products, references, and memes today. During this fun, don’t forget that the fight to legalize marijuana is not over. At DPA, we’re not just fighting to free the plant. More importantly, we’re fighting to free the people. Most Americans want legalization, but the U.S. government has not listened to the will of the people and taken action. As a result, our communities continue to be harmed by marijuana prohibition. Despite marijuana being legal in more than 20 states, it is still illegal federally and one of the most commonly arrested offenses. In 2021, over 170,000 people were arrested for marijuana possession. And in the same year, 4 out of 5 of those sentenced for federal marijuana charges were Black or Latinx. A vast majority of Americans agree that marijuana prohibition is ruining lives. That includes President Biden who said, “too many lives have been upended because of our failed approach to marijuana.” With your help, we pushed him to take the first steps toward reform last October. He pardoned people with simple federal marijuana possession convictions, encouraged state governors to do the same, and began a review of how marijuana is scheduled. But that is nowhere near enough to ensure our communities are not harmed by marijuana prohibition. Tell President Biden to deschedule marijuana and end the federal war on marijuana now! President Biden has the power to lead the way. That’s why we are demanding him to deschedule and fully remove marijuana from the Controlled Substances Act. It’s the only way to completely end federal marijuana prohibition. And it must be paired with passage of a comprehensive bill in Congress like the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act (CAOA) to regulate marijuana, repair the harms of its criminalization, and reinvest in communities most impacted by prohibition. At DPA, we believe that no one should be criminalized for marijuana. And we believe that marijuana policy reform must put people first. It must center health, justice, equity, and community reinvestment. Legalization must help our communities by undoing the harms of prohibition. This 4/20, please tell Biden to do the right thing and legalize marijuana the right way – with equity and justice at the forefront.
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The Drug Policy Alliance depends entirely on private donations to fund our work to end the war on drugs and promote new drug policies grounded in science, compassion, health, equity, and human rights. Your support is crucial – thank you! Donate now. Drug Policy Alliance 131 West 33rd St., 15th Floor, New York, NY 10001 |
