John,
Whether you’re one of the 118 million adults in the U.S. who have used marijuana or not, we hope you’ll agree: This 4/20, it’s high time for cannabis justice nationwide.
The fight to legalize cannabis, expunge all prior criminal records, and invest in communities hit by the war on drugs is one of the most important racial and economic justice fights of our time. And we’re calling on our representatives to act.
Will you sign the petition to tell Congress to legalize, expunge, and invest in communities harmed by cannabis criminalization today?
Sign the petition
For decades, fearmongering about cannabis that is completely divorced from science and reality has ruined lives.
In 2020 and 2021, an estimated 396,856 arrests were made just for the possession of cannabis.1 That’s 396,856 crises devastating our families and our communities — particularly Black and brown communities — for having a substance that only 12% of the country thinks should be illegal.2
And with the federal government listing cannabis alongside heroin and LSD as a Schedule 1 drug, too many of these arrests lead to severe prison sentences and criminal records that make it almost impossible to find housing and jobs.
Last year, the House of Representatives passed a bill that would:
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Remove cannabis from the list of scheduled substances,
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Eliminate criminal penalties for manufacturing, distributing, and possessing cannabis,
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Expunge convictions and conduct sentencing review hearings,
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Ensure that people are not denied federal benefits and protections based on cannabis-related conduct,
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Grow our economy by making small business loans and services available to legitimate businesses and providers, and
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Invest in the communities that have been hit hardest by the war on drugs.
But when the new Congress took office in January, the bill died.
We’re calling on our representatives to reintroduce cannabis justice legislation that legalizes cannabis, expunges criminal records, and invests in our communities. And if this Congress doesn’t get the job done, we’ll elect more progressive champions in 2024 who will. If you’re with us, click here to sign the petition now.
Sign the petition
In solidarity,
Team WFP
Source:
1. States With the Most Arrests for Marijuana Possession
, U.S. News & World Report, October 17, 2022
2. 7 facts about Americans and marijuana, Pew Research Center, April 13, 2023
