|
The big winner this week? Drugs.
In every state where drug reform was on the ballot, it won. New Jersey, Arizona, South Dakota, and Montana all voted to legalize adult recreational cannabis use, while Mississippi voted to legalize it for medical use. And Oregon—where medical and recreational cannabis has been legal for years—went all out, voting not only to legalize psilocybin mushrooms, but also to decriminalize hard drugs.
This is a huge step towards de-stigmatization, ending the racist War on Drugs, and ultimately getting—and keeping—a lot of people out of prison.
As executive director Erik Altieri of cannabis advocacy group NORML puts it, "By moving to end this fiscally wasteful and morally repugnant policy, state officials will now be able to prioritize law enforcement resources toward combating more serious criminal activities, better respect the personal freedom and civil liberties of their citizens, end the racist application of marijuana prohibition laws against communities of color, and direct new tax revenues toward important social programs such as education and infrastructure development.”
We remain hopeful for the future of this country and its people. And after a week like this one, we could all probably use a nice fat joint.
Thankfully, that’s about to become a whole lot easier for a lot more people.
|
