We don’t need to tell you that marijuana legalization is a winning political issue. That’s because you already know that a super-majority of Americans — including most Democrats, Republicans, and Independents — want the federal government to legalize cannabis.
To date, neither Trump nor Biden has provided a viable strategy to end federal marijuana prohibition or to facilitate the growing, state-sanctioned retail cannabis industry. Nonetheless, such bold leadership is consistent with the interests of the majority of the American people. According to nationwide polling data provided by Gallup, 67 percent of Americans support legalizing and regulating the adult-use of marijuana, including outright majority support from Democrats, Republicans, and Independents.
Both candidates want your vote in November. But neither have sought to earn your vote by pledging to end marijuana prohibition.
This is why we have set up a petition calling upon them to commit to ending federal marijuana criminalization and enact sensible and politically popular policy reforms.
On behalf of the tens of millions of Americans who support replacing marijuana prohibition with a system of adult-use legalization and regulation, as well as on behalf of the interests of those residing in the majority of US jurisdictions that have liberalized their own state-specific policies in a manner that is divergent from federal law, NORML is calling upon the two major party candidates to support the following changes in federal marijuana policy:
Deschedule. Expunge. Reinvest.
- Deschedule the marijuana plant from the Controlled Substances Act so that states, not the federal government, are the primary regulators of marijuana policy and so that local governments (that wish to do so) can take steps to regulate the marijuana market unimpeded by the threat of undue federal interference.
- Call for the automatic review of federal convictions specific to low-level marijuana-related offenses, and for the expungement and/or resentencing of these convictions when applicable.
- Provide federal financial assistance to facilitate state and local governments to review and expunge non-violent marijuana convictions through the issuance of grants and other resources. inducements and resources.
- Work to ensure that a portion of revenues derived from businesses in the marijuana sector are circulated and reinvested into those communities most adversely impacted by prohibition, and that the emerging legal industry creates pathways for ownership opportunities for local small businesses, as well as engage in practices that promote social justice and equity.
“The criminalization of marijuana financially burdens taxpayers, encroaches upon civil liberties, engenders disrespect for the law, impedes legitimate scientific research into the plant’s medicinal properties, and disproportionately impacts communities of color,” NORML Executive Erik Altieri said. “Americans demand a President who recognizes this reality and who will seek to amend federal law in a manner that comports with scientific consensus, public opinion, and the plant’s rapidly evolving cultural status.”