Friend –

It's 4/20, and in honor of Second Chance Month, we not only want to recognize the importance of legalizing cannabis in Wisconsin but also underscore the need to right the wrongs of the racist War on Drugs policies that have criminalized so many.

Thousands of Wisconsinites are still being pushed into our criminal legal system every year for simple marijuana possession. It's morally wrong, extremely costly, and upends people's lives. Having any contact with the system – from being charged to getting convicted – can cost you your job and housing, destabilize the lives of your family or those who depend on you, and cause lifelong trauma. A criminal record can potentially bar you from renting an apartment, going to school, landing a job, and preventing you from accessing public assistance programs.

Luckily, there are things we can do to mitigate the damage and afford people with cannabis convictions a chance for a better future. The legislature can legalize cannabis and pass a bipartisan expungement bill, both of which have the governor's support. Governor Evers can also use his executive authority to grant clemency to those who have marijuana possession offenses, erasing their criminal records and allowing them to truly move forward.

For more, you can read our blog and sign our legalization petition. The path to justice is through our equity, care, and humanity values – not vengeance or criminalization. It's past time that we legalize cannabis – and it's also past time that the people most affected by its criminalization get the justice they deserve.

We also just launched a supporter survey better to understand the interests of our members and supporters. If you would like to participate, you can take it on our website and enter to win an ACLU prize!

In solidarity,

ACLU of Wisconsin