Thank you, Friend. You are helping DPA build the world we deserve and stand up for health, equity, and human rights.
Together, we’ve accomplished so much this past year. We’ve been protecting our progress and pushing forward in states across the country and in Congress.
We fought to treat drug use as a health issue, not a criminal problem… We advanced marijuana justice… We advocated to keep families safe and whole… We upheld the dignity of people who use drugs... And grew the drug policy reform movement.
Here are just 10 of the groundbreaking victories and vital steps forward that you helped us and our allies make possible:
1. Measure 110 continued creating “tangible, life-saving changes.” Decriminalizing drugs and investing in health is providing crucial services to the people of Oregon. Measure 110 has enabled more detox facilities and treatment services to open, reduced reliance on the criminal legal system, and helped pave a path to recovery.
2. OnPoint NYC announced more than 1,000 potentially fatal overdoses have been prevented at their two overdose prevention centers (OPCs) since opening in 2021. OPCs are vital in the fight against overdose deaths. DPA is leading the charge for OPCs across the country.
3. Following Rhode Island, Minnesota became the second state to officially support overdose prevention centers (OPCs). They are a proven tool that prevent fatal overdoses and help connect people to ongoing care and other health and support services.
4. Vermont lawmakers passed legislation that will expand life-saving harm reduction services and establish one of the most far-reaching drug checking laws in the country. It will also increase access to drug treatment and the overdose-reversal medication naloxone. DPA worked with the Decriminalize Vermont grassroots coalition to get the bill passed.
5. Oregon lawmakers passed the Hope and Recovery Act, a critical bill that strengthens Measure 110. The measure expanded funding for health, harm reduction, and addiction services. It will ensure that Measure 110 continues to provide vital addiction recovery services in Oregon.
6. The Biden administration recommended rescheduling marijuana under the Controlled Substances Act from Schedule I to Schedule III. This change has symbolic value, but it would not end marijuana criminalization. Most marijuana conduct would remain illegal under federal law and DPA will continue the fight for descheduling to fully end prohibition and its harms.
7. A U.S. Senate committee passed the SAFER Banking Act. This bill would promote fairness in marijuana banking, but it does not go far enough. DPA will continue to advocate for protections for people with past marijuana records.
8. A new poll by Data for Progress showed Americans are ready for the federal government to legalize adult-use marijuana. Most voters – including Republicans – also support diverting marijuana revenue to a community grant fund modelled after our groundbreaking marijuana legalization law in New York.
9. We got the RESTORE Act introduced in Congress to end the lifetime federal food stamp ban on people with felony drug convictions. DPA has been spearheading efforts to repeal this ban - a painful reminder of the harm that drug war policies cause.
10. DPA convened the biennial International Drug Policy Reform Conference in Phoenix, Arizona, last month. Around 1,500 advocates from across the U.S. and around the world attended. Our executive director, Kassandra Frederique, kicked off the event with a powerful speech.
We will keep moving forward in 2024 and beyond. We won’t stop until we achieve our vision for health, equity, and justice. From all of us at DPA, thank you for being a part of this movement. We are grateful to have you alongside us in this fight.
