http://www.aclu.org/criminal-law-reform/marijuana-law-reform
Marijuana Law Reform
Arrests for possession of small amounts of marijuana constitute one of the most common drug-related points of entry into the criminal justice system, and are often directed primarily at people of color, despite strong evidence that whites use marijuana at higher rates. The Criminal Law Reform Project advocates for the decriminalization of personal possession of marijuana across the nation.
Drug offenders comprise over 500,000 of the more than 2 million people in our nation’s prisons and jails, and drug offenses and failed drug tests account for a significant number of those returning to prison for parole and probation violations. Most of those incarcerated for marijuana offenses do not belong in prison, as they represent little or no risk to public safety. Removing criminal penalties for marijuana offenses will therefore reduce the U.S. prison population and more effectively protect the public and promote public health.
The ACLU works to promote good police practices, which ensure public safety and prevent abuses in encounters between police officers and citizens. Unfortunately, across the nation patterns of racial profiling, the selective enforcement of laws against people of color and disturbing stop-and-frisk policies have resulted in a disproportionate effect on certain communities, with people of color coming in contact with law enforcement and the criminal justice system at far greater rates that white people.
Medical Marijuana (2011 feature): Contemporary scientific evidence confirms the countless stories of the therapeutic effects of medical marijuana, which has provided unique relief for serious conditions, including cancer and AIDS, when no other medicine is as effective or free of side effects such as nausea or loss of appetite. Nearly one million patients nationwide now use medical marijuana as recommended by their doctors and in accordance with state laws.In fact, the federal government categorizes drugs such as cocaine and methamphetamine less seriously and thus permits such drugs to be prescribed where appropriate while prohibiting the prescription of marijuana to seriously ill patients.
Stubbornly denying the medical benefits of marijuana – and thus treating it differently than more serious drugs subject to extreme abuse – is scientifically unsound and deprives seriously ill patients of much-needed pain relief.
Shaun Kardinal
Johnny Benson
