Friend,
Brittney Griner’s story has left people worldwide shocked and outraged at her months-long detention and severe sentence of nine years in prison for possessing a small amount of marijuana in Russia.
This case is a travesty but it’s not an anomaly — she’s just one of countless victims that suffer here and abroad due to the disastrous drug war.
While President Biden rightfully called on Russia to release her, it has exposed his blatant hypocrisy and inaction on this vital issue at home. On any given day in the U.S., almost 400,000 people are behind bars for a drug offense including an estimated 40,000 for marijuana.
Urge President Biden to free all people like Brittney Griner here in the U.S. who are unjustly incarcerated for marijuana and other drugs.
Marijuana possession is the most arrested offense in this country and many people have received sentences as severe or worse than Griner’s, sending them to prison for decades or even life. And arrests and punishment disproportionately target Black people despite the fact that Black and white people use and sell drugs at similar rates.
As the U.S. arrests, incarcerates, and deports people for low-level marijuana arrests and convictions, it’s incredibly challenging to protect U.S. citizens abroad. Especially since the U.S. is responsible for exporting the drug war across the globe — influencing, funding, and playing an international policing role in other countries to take the same prohibitionist approach to drug activity. This shameful reality gives us no moral or legal high ground to stand on.
Biden has done nothing to fix the drug laws that punish us in the United States from stalling on his campaign promise to release people in prison for marijuana to failing to support the comprehensive reform we need to end federal marijuana prohibition and fully repair harms.
With this issue now in the international spotlight, this is a pivotal moment to hold him accountable with our demands. Tell Biden to release prisoners of the drug war in the U.S. and take steps to stop locking people up for marijuana by descheduling it to end federal prohibition right now.
Admonishing Russia and other countries for their drug laws while allowing the drug war to harm so many Americans shows how out-of-touch the Biden administration is with the public which overwhelmingly agrees the drug war has failed and supports legalizing marijuana.
While we stand with Biden's call for Griner's release, he must use his power to show up the same way for Americans at home. Take action to keep pushing Biden to bring all the people like Brittney Griner home, end federal marijuana prohibition, and remedy the harms of the drug war.
 |
|
Sincerely,
Maritza Perez
Director, Federal Affairs
Drug Policy Alliance
|
|
|
| Follow us: |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|
