The war on drugs is a total failure. Let's end it.
State by state, Americans are saying loudly and clearly that it's time to end the war on cannabis.
Only, the federal government isn't keeping up with the will of the American people.
Here's the truth: the war on cannabis has been racist and deeply misguided. For decades, too many families have been torn apart and too many lives have been ruined because people, especially young Black and Brown men, face outrageous jail sentences for cannabis-related "crimes."
That has to end, and that means ending the federal prohibition on cannabis.
I have been working on this issue longer than any politician in America. This year, the table is set, but we need to keep up the momentum.
Please sign the petition — tell President Joe Biden and Congress to end the war on cannabis.
We don't need to have a drawn-out debate on this, because the debate's been over for years: the war on drugs is a total failure, and the cannabis prohibition has ruined far more lives than any theoretical benefit. It’s time to acknowledge the truth, end the prohibition, and move on.
The Brookings Institution sums it up neatly: "For decades, the War on Drugs has been a tool to target Black and Brown Americans and change life trajectories in those communities for millions of people.... The criminal justice system in the United States extracted from Black and Brown America money, human beings, and opportunity."
Our progressive movement must be part of that change. And that's why I'm asking you to embrace this cause.
Courage.
Earl