I don’t like that our country’s war on marijuana is still being waged in 28 states. I don’t like racist drug laws contributing to the mass incarceration problem in those states. And I don’t like how a thriving underground marijuana market empowers gangs and organized crime when there could be a highly taxed and highly regulated legal market providing good jobs in those states.
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I’m a travel writer, and for me, “high” is a place. Sometimes I just want to go there. And if responsible adults want to smoke a little pot recreationally, there’s no good reason for our government to violate our civil liberties to try and stop them. That’s why I’ve been busy for 20 years working to end the failed war on weed. My fellow board members at the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML) just elected me to serve my third term as their Board Chair, and I’d like to invite you to join our team.
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I am honored to lead this important fight for freedom. Over the coming year, NORML is looking to build upon our past successes and tackle new challenges as we continue to dismantle the prohibition against marijuana one state at a time.
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Twenty-two states have now legalized marijuana for adults, with Delaware and Maryland becoming the latest to do so, and Minnesota is poised to become the 23rd in coming days.
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States are also moving to right the past wrongs of marijuana criminalization. Twenty-four states now expunge past marijuana convictions. Nearly 2 million Americans have obtained needed legal relief under these newly enacted policies. In recent months, even the President of the United States has taken executive action to pardon thousands of Americans whose only “crime” was being caught possessing small amounts of marijuana.
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These advances in civil liberties and common sense don’t just happen. They are a result of our work, and the actions of people just like you. We lobby tirelessly in the halls of Congress and statehouses across the country. Our hard work and smart advocacy are making a big difference, and we could use your help now more than ever. Please join us with a small monthly contribution. I can’t imagine a better way to celebrate my re-election as Board Chair than having you on our team.
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Thank you — and keep on travelin’!
Rick Steves
Chair, NORML Board of Directors
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