This Tuesday is 4/20, a day commonly celebrated by marijuana enthusiasts due to its eponymous “420” date. The origins of the 420 tradition have been lost in time, but consumption of recreational and medicinal marijuana are more widespread than ever. Recently we’ve seen several states including NY and NJ pass surprisingly good laws legalizing marijuana and addressing criminal justice and racial equity.
While these step by step progress is encouraging, marijuana still remains criminalized at the federal level, and many thousands are locked up to this day for non-violent drug offenses. Are the American people ready to make the leap?
Do you think that the use of marijuana should be made legal in the United States, or not?
Some seven-in-ten Americans believe that “the use of marijuana should be made legal in the United States,” according to national polling data compiled by Quinnipiac University. That percentage is the highest level of support ever reported in a nationwide poll.
Support for marijuana legalization is high across the board! It good for criminal justice, it’s good for freedom and our health, and it’s even good for the economy and tax revenue. Take the leap Democrats, move beyond this mad era of prohibition, and begin to wind down the war on drugs. The first, and easiest step, is to legalize marijuana nationwide. This is a no-brainer, and a political winner. If Congress can’t do it, Joe Biden should at least use his executive power to de-schedule marijuana and commute as many sentences as possible.
This is a rare instance where business interests are mostly aligned with the people. It’s only a matter of time until the dam breaks on this issue, there is simply too much money to be made. The question for us, the people, is can we make criminal justice, equity, labor rights and climate change also included in this process. Without an economic cudgel to match those of the major vice conglomerates, our voices will not be heard, and marijuana legalization will end up benefiting capital more than the people. So join us each Tuesday as we build our economic power, to make sure that as the war on drugs ends, it ushers in a new era of tolerance and representative government.
Happy 4/20 and DSOT!!
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