Thirty-two Senate Republicans and one Democrat voted against the bill, which would have reduced penalties involving the possession of up to one-half ounce of cannabis to a noncriminal infraction.
Tag: arrests
“Although Congress has failed to amend federal cannabis laws to explicitly recognize state-legal cannabis markets, the attitudes and priorities of federal law enforcement agents and prosecutors have clearly shifted in a manner that reflects their reality. Now it’s time for Congress to do so by repealing the failed policy of federal marijuana prohibition.”
“The ongoing criminalization of marijuana is a terribly destructive policy that adversely impacts thousands of North Dakotans annually. Minor marijuana possession offenders should not be saddled with an arrest, a criminal record, and with the lifelong penalties and stigma associated with it.”
“At a time when voters and their elected officials nationwide are re-evaluating state and federal marijuana policies, it is inconceivable that government agencies are unwilling to provide data on the estimated costs and scope of federal marijuana prohibition in America.”
“Marijuana-related prosecutions remain the primary driver of drug war enforcement in those states where marijuana-related activities remain criminalized. It is shameful that hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to be arrested annually in these jurisdictions for cannabis-related violations that the majority of voters no longer believe should be a crime.”
At NORML, this is a stark reminder of why we do the work that we do and how much more still needs to be done.
“Hundreds of thousands of Americans continue to be arrested annually for low-level cannabis-related violations even though a majority of voters no longer believe that the responsible use of marijuana by adults should be a crime.”
At a time when voters and politicians are historically divided, there is one issue that Americans largely agree upon: It’s time to legalize marijuana.