We believe that the adult use of marijuana is a personal decision with which the state should not interfere.
Additionally, the
criminalization of marijuana use disproportionately harms young people and people of color, sponsors massive levels of violence and corruption, and fails to curb youth access.
Legalizing and regulating marijuana will bring the nation's largest cash crop under the rule of law, creating jobs and economic opportunities in the formal economy instead of the illicit market. Scarce law enforcement resources that could be better used to protect public safety would be preserved while reducing corrections and court costs. State and local governments would acquire significant new sources of tax revenue from regulating marijuana sales.
The Drug Policy Alliance advocates marijuana legalization through a well-regulated market for marijuana production and distribution. DPA is shaping the burgeoning national dialogue about how to best achieve legalization and serving as a national thought leader for viable alternatives to failed prohibitionist policies. DPA staff advise elected officials, regulators, and other advocates on available options and their implications for state and local governments. We also seek to enact change on the state and federal level through ongoing legislative efforts and through high-profile ballot initiatives in upcoming election cycles.
DPA Statement: Obama’s Candor Was Commendable, But Hypocritical Escalation of War on Marijuana is Costly Political Miscalculation
A forthcoming biography on President Obama is making headlines, with new details about the president smoking marijuana with his teenage friends in Hawaii.
Event will Highlight the Negative Human and Fiscal Consequences of Marijuana Prohibition
Denver, CO—On Tuesday, May 22, from 6 p.m.-7:30 p.m. at Cleo Parker Robinson’s Dance Studio, 119 Park Avenue West, the Drug Policy Alliance and other allies - including the ACLU of CO and the Colorado Criminal Justice Reform Coalition - will host Neill Franklin, former narcotics officer and executive director of Law Enforcement Against Prohibition (LEAP), to raise awareness and support for ending marijuana prohibition in Colorado.
Advocates Say Fair and Common-Sense Legislation will Save Money and Prevent Injustice and Hardship
Trenton, NJ—On Monday, May 21st, the Assembly Judiciary Committee will hold hearings on Assembly Bill 1465, which would make possession of one-half ounce, or 15 grams, of marijuana a summary offense similar to a parking ticket. The hearing will convene in Committee Room 12 at 10am in the State House Annex.
Despite 750,000 Annual Marijuana Possession Arrests, Teens Consistently Report That Marijuana is Easier to Obtain Than Alcohol
Teen Cigarette Smoking Continues Dramatic Decline -- Demonstrating Success of Non-Criminal, Public Health-Based Approach
The 23rd annual Partnership Attitude Tracking Study (PATS) was released today, showing an increase in teen marijuana use and reductions in prescription drug misuse and especially cigarette smoking.
Smoking rates have declined with 22 percent of teens reporting smoking cigarettes in the past month – down 19 percent from 27 percent last year. Past-month usage of marijuana, though, grew from 19 percent in 2008 to 27 percent last year.
The following statement is from Jag Davies, publications manager at the Drug Policy Alliance:
Law enforcement attitudes towards medical marijuana in California have been mixed. Generally, many law enforcement officials and associations have been hostile to medical marijuana, since California’s voters legalized it in 1996 and continuing today.
In the past few years, marijuana reform advocates have won dozens of significant victories to reduce the role of the criminal justice system in marijuana policy across the U.S. – and have gained the support of many eyebrow-raising names that place the issue squarely in the mainstream of national and international politics.
CU-Boulder to Close Campus to Visitors, Threatens Arrests
DPA to Urge Reform of Punitive Marijuana Laws in Colorado on 4/20 with Airplane Banner, Full Page Ads and On-the-Ground Presence
April 20, the quasi-official holiday for people who enjoy marijuana, is recognized by millions around the world. This year’s holiday will have a deeper significance for Coloradans as Amendment 64 is on the ballot to tax and regulate marijuana. Amendment 64 decriminalizes marijuana for adults and allows local municipalities and the state to establish a non-medical, regulatory framework for cultivation, distribution and sale.
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