4/20 ( Four Twenty )
For people who prefer to relax with a joint instead of a beer or martini it’s a time to celebrate, especially if you live in the states of Washington or Colorado. Or the country of Uruguay. For those who don’t use cannabis of use hemp products it’s a time to stand up in support of their friends, family, and fellow citizens who face arrest for nothing more than what they put into their body. For the Drug Policy Alliance and the drug policy reform movement 4/20 represents something even bigger.
Fortunately, the tide is quickly turning against the war on cannabis & hemp. The movement to end cannabis prohibition is very broad, composed of people who love cannabis, people who hate cannabis, and people who don’t have strong feelings about cannabis use one way or the other. We all agree on one thing though – cannabis prohibition is doing more harm than good. It’s wasting taxpayer dollars and police resources, filling our jails and prisons with hundreds of thousands of nonviolent people, and increasing crime and violence in the same way alcohol Prohibition did. .
The war on cannabis won’t end, however, if everyone who supports reform stays silent. Maybe you smoke cannabis and are tired of being considered a criminal. Maybe you work in law enforcement and are tired of ruining people’s lives by arresting them. Maybe you’re a teacher or public health advocate tired of politicians cutting money for education and health to pay for the construction of new jails and prisons Maybe you’re a civil rights activist appalled by racial disparities in cannabis law enforcement. Or maybe you just don’t want your tax dollars wasted on ineffective policies.
Regardless of your motivation, April 20th (4/20) is a good opportunity for you to make a pledge to end cannabis prohibition. The Drug Policy Alliance is asking people to use 4/20 as the time to commit to doing something in 2014 to end the war on people who use cannabis. There are many ways to help end cannabis prohibition. Tell your elected representatives to end cannabis prohibition. Talk to your friends and family about why people who use cannabis shouldn’t be arrested. Wear hemp clothes and tell others about them. Twitter this. Change your Facebook status to announce your support for ending the war on cannabis. Stand up today with other Americans and get the word out there. This war will end; how soon depends, in part, on you
Legalizing marijuana is supported by clear majorities in Western, Eastern, and Midwestern states, and majorities in at least some Southern states such as Texas and Louisiana. 20 states and the District of Columbia have legalized marijuana for medical use. 16 states have eliminated criminal penalties for marijuana possession. Colorado and Washington have legalized marijuana like alcohol, with Alaska, California, Oregon and many other states likely to join them between now and November 2016..