Annie Comes Home: The “War on Drugs” needs to end

Monday, June 17, 2024

The “War on Drugs” needs to end

Do you think cannabis should be decriminalized? Yes, I do! →

Pamela,

Of the nearly 2 million people incarcerated in the United States, one in five are behind bars due to a drug offense.

Today marks the anniversary of the "War on Drugs," which was inaugurated by then-President Richard Nixon 53 years ago. In the decades since, this wrongheaded, racist policy decision continues to impact the lives of millions.

In 2020, nearly one-third of all drug-related arrests were for cannabis possession.¹ Even when these arrests do not result in convictions, they can lead to a lifetime of consequences that impact people's employment, housing, child custody, immigration status, and more.

A majority of U.S. states have moved to decriminalize cannabis, but possession is still a crime under federal law.

Pamela, there's something you can do today to help change that. Join Vera as we advocate to decriminalize cannabis.

Last month, the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) announced that it is considering a rule change that would ease restrictions on cannabis by reclassifying it as a less dangerous drug.

This historic move would be the biggest change in federal cannabis policy in over 50 years—but it does not go far enough to address the decades of harm caused by its criminalization.

Instead, the DEA needs to fully decriminalize cannabis and ensure that possession is no longer a crime under federal law.

YOU have the chance to weigh in before the DEA makes its final decision. For the next 35 days, this rule change is open for public comment. We have a real opportunity to urge the DEA to unravel decades of poor policy choices.

In solidarity,

Vera Institute of Justice

¹https://drugpolicy.org/issues/drug-war-statistics