“The only productive outcome would be for the administration or for Congress to move expeditiously to deschedule cannabis … providing states the power to establish their own marijuana policies free from federal intrusion.”
Author: Paul Armentano, NORML Deputy Director
President Biden’s foray into the arena of marijuana reform legitimizes legalization as a subject worthy of consideration — and action — by those at the highest levels of government. Further, it is a recognition — by the president of the United States, no less — that America’s nearly 100-year experiment with cannabis criminalization has been an abject failure.
Among those between 18 and 44 years of age, more than half say that Congress should prioritize the issue. Among registered Democrats, 54 percent of respondents said that lawmakers ought to prioritize legalization. One-quarter of Democrats said that it should be one of Congress’s “top” priorities.
By taking cannabis products off street corners and placing them behind the counter, lawmakers can provide consumers with a safer experience and greatly reduce their risk of being inadvertently exposed to contaminated products.
Those who wish to perpetuate the failed public policy of cannabis criminalization have lost the hearts and minds of the American public. And they know it.
Regulators and other concerned parties should seek to provide the public with more comprehensive safety information about the effects of more potent products, and they should continue to ensure that legal products do not get diverted to the youth market. Such actions will ultimately be far more productive than calling for a return to the failures of marijuana prohibition.
“Adults should no longer be stigmatized and disenfranchised because of convictions for marijuana-related activities that are no longer defined as crimes under the law.”
State officials must now conduct an official assessment of the signature petitions and verify their authenticity before determining whether the two measures will appear on the November ballot.