Drug Policy Reform Looms Large on Nov. Ballots

This upcoming election season should prove to be of great importance in regards to legalizing cannabis, and de-fanging the wildly overblown “drug war” mentality that has locked this country into decades of wrongful prosecutions and ill-advised polices.

“In seven weeks, voters across the country will have a chance to accelerate the unprecedented momentum to legalize marijuana and end the wider drug war. In fact, there are more drug policy reform questions on the ballot this November than ever in American history. Voter initiatives — primarily reforming or repealing marijuana laws — appear on the ballots in seven states, at least 17 municipalities and one U.S. territory.” The Huffington Post reports.

Let that sink in a moment. At no other point in our history have Americans had the opportunity to cast their vote to change our national drug policy. It’s easy to forget, as a resident of Washington where I can walk into a retail store and buy marijuana, just how crazy the drug laws used to be and still are in many places. This wave of reform won’t stop until drug consumption is met with rationality and common sense. Needless to say, we still have a long way to go, but it’s always good to look over your shoulder from time to time to see just how far we have come.

Oregon, Alaska, Florida, California and DC will have ballot measures ranging from outright legalization (if it passes in Alaska, it would be the first “red” state to adopt such freedom) to decriminalization to allowing medical marijuana. Guam is poised to become the first US territory to allow medical marijuana. Maine has a ballot initiative that would expand the removal of penalties that Portland Maine voted into reality back in 2013. Michigan is looking to add 11 more cities to the seven who have already removed cannabis possession penalties for adults. In New Mexico, a vote to affirm Santa Fe’s decrimininalization efforts is up to the plate.

“Public opinion has shifted dramatically over the last decade in favor of reforming marijuana laws and dismantling the egregious excesses of the drug war. And elected officials have begun to take notice. The U.S. House has voted five times in recent months to let states set their own marijuana policies while Senators Rand Paul and Cory Booker have introduced similar bi-partisan legislation in the U.S. Senate in addition to a cluster of other long-overdue criminal justice reforms. When the dust settles on November 5, the momentum for change in this country will only have accelerated.”

It’s an exciting time to observe the outcomes of these votes. As a Seattle resident, I feel like I’m already on the other side of the legalization bridge looking back across the chasm, cheering for my brothers and sisters to make the journey. Beyond just legalizing weed, a reform to our staggeringly flawed and destructive drug policy would go a long way to righting the national ship. All of us are affected by drug policy.

Many people have had their lives decimated for simply possessing an illicit substance. No one should lose custody of their kids, be fired from their job, or get kicked out of school for smoking a joint. These are pock marks on a personal history that follow you for the rest of your life and it’s just not fair. I have personally known people who have had their kids taken away for having weed in a locked cabinet that was only used when the children weren’t there. I have also known people who have gotten drunk and beaten their spouse/children and gotten less than a slap on the wrist.

Our drug policy needs more than just a revamping. It is broken and needs to be deconstructed and rebuilt with a new blueprint.