Democracy Rules

Alaska, Connecticut, Colorado, California, Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, Maine and Washington have decriminalized the recreational use of marijuana - and most believe other states are about to follow. Recent surveys have found that 61% of Americans now feel marijuana should be legalized. About 75% feel that efforts to enforce anti-marihuana laws are more costly than beneficial. Marijuana supporters claim alcohol, tobacco and prescription drug use kills at least 500,000 Americans each year, but no deaths have been directly attributed to marijuana use. They say it is a waste of humanity and resources to incarcerate so many non-violent offenders. They also say political pressure, not medical research, caused this drug to be outlawed in 1936. Health advocates claim Marijuana can relieve symptoms associated with HIV/AIDS, cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Crohn’s disease, epilepsy and glaucoma. It also shows promise in treating post-traumatic stress disorder. Our pharmaceutical industry must see some truth in these claims since, next to law enforcement, it is one of the strongest voices opposing legalization. Some marijuana opponents claim legalizing marijuana will act as a gateway to the use of dangerous drugs. However, this claim has been refuted by numerous medical studies and only one in three Americans believe this is a real concern.

Proposed Legislation: Reintroduction of H.R.2843 - Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act (116th Congress 2019-2020)
Prospective Sponsor: Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY)

I oppose reforming current marijuana policy and wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Speaker Kevin McCarthy (CA).
I support decriminalizing marijuana by: 1.) Removing marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who imports, exports, manufactures, distributes, or possesses with intent to distribute marijuana. 2.) Establishing a trust fund to assist women-owned and minority-owned marijuana businesses. 3.) Requiring federal research on the impacts of marijuana use on highway safety and public health. 4.) Authorizing federal restrictions on the marketing of marijuana-related products. 5.) Authorizing grants for state and local governments to expunge or seal convictions for marijuana possession. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.

Winning Option »» I support decriminalizing marijuana by: 1.) Removing marijuana from the list of scheduled substances under the Controlled Substances Act and eliminating criminal penalties for an individual who imports, exports, manufactures, distributes, or possesses with intent to distribute marijuana. 2.) Establishing a trust fund to assist women-owned and minority-owned marijuana businesses. 3.) Requiring federal research on the impacts of marijuana use on highway safety and public health. 4.) Authorizing federal restrictions on the marketing of marijuana-related products. 5.) Authorizing grants for state and local governments to expunge or seal convictions for marijuana possession. And wish to donate resources to the campaign committee of Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (NY) and/or to an advocate group currently working with this issue.