Politics
Campaign To Decriminalize Psychedelics In DC Cleared For Signature Gathering
The Washington, D.C. Board of Elections approved a petition to decriminalize psychedelics on Wednesday, officially clearing the campaign for signature gathering.
It also accepted a motion to allow circulators to sign their own petitions, removing a longstanding prohibition that is viewed as especially problematic given the limited means of signature collection during the coronavirus pandemic.
Sign up at https://t.co/JqxpxG6lyJ and we will mail you a petition to sign and return to us ASAP! We need 30,000 signature by July 6th! #i81 #SignAtHome #DemocracyByMail
— DecrimNatureDC (@DecrimNatureDC) May 6, 2020
For Decriminalize Nature D.C., things appear to be falling in place despite the challenging circumstances drug policy reform ballot campaigns across the country have found themselves in this election cycle.
The petition approval comes one day after the D.C. Council voted in favor of a bill that would, for the first time, allow for an alternative signature gathering option that doesn’t necessarily involve in-person contact.
Now, thanks to the legislation, voters will be able to download and print the petition, physically sign it, scan the document and e-mail it back to campaign headquarters.
The Council bill also included language to let circulators sign their own petitions, along the lines of the the Board’s administrative action on Wednesday.
Last minute font fix and this baby is ready to be born. @DecrimNatureDC @MelissaMNDC @DecrimNature pic.twitter.com/Ab3Mg3Qx5y
— đ„Adam Eidinger đ (@aeidinger) May 6, 2020
Text of the approved petition states that it would make âthe investigation and arrest of adults for non-commercial planting, cultivating, purchasing, transporting, distributing, possessing, and/or engaging in practices with entheogenic plants and fungi among the Metropolitan Police Departmentâs lowest law enforcement prioritiesâ
It would also codify âthat the people of the District of Columbia call upon the Attorney General for the District of Columbia and the United States Attorney for the District of Columbia to cease prosecution of residents of the District of Columbia for these activities.â
With the petition adopted and set to be published in the District Register, Decriminalize Nature D.C. can move ahead with an experimental strategy that it shared exclusively with Marijuana Moment. That will initially involve mailing petitions and educational materials about the initiative to a pool of 10,000 voters.
The mailers will be evenly distributed to four classes of residents: 1) consistent voters who signed the ballot petition for a 2014 marijuana legalization initiative, 2) consistent voters who didnât sign the legalization petition, 3) occasional voters who backed the cannabis petition and 4) a random selection of residents pulled from the voter roll.
Based on the response rates, activists will make a determination about which voters to target for their next push. In order to qualify, they need to collect about 25,000 valid signatures by July 6. Recent polling indicates that voters would be supportive of the reform move if it appears on the November ballot.
The fate of the campaign seemed grim in the early stages of stay-at-home orders and social distancing requirements that were enacted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Organizers asked the mayor and District Council to allow online petition signing but heard nothing back, raising doubts about whether they would be able to collect enough while being restricted from in-person activities.
But these latest moves represent a promising lifeline for the campaign, renewing hope that psychedelics decriminalization will appear on the ballot in the nation’s capitol.
Contributions from the activist soap company Dr. Bronnerâs, which is backing a number of reform campaigns across the country, will also help fund the effort
Other drug policy reform campaigns have had mixed fates amid the health crisis.
California activists had hoped to get a measure to legalize psilocybin on the stateâs November ballot, but the campaign stalled out amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Organizers in Oregon are holding out hope that a measure to legalize psilocybin for therapeutic purposes will make the ballot. The campaign already collected enough raw signatures to qualify, though theyâve yet to be validated.
Also in Oregon, a separate proposed ballot measure would decriminalize possession of all illicit drugs and use existing marijuana tax revenue to fund expanded treatment services. Activists in nearby Washington State are also working on a similar drug decriminalization and treatment measure.
Marijuana-specific reform campaigns have also felt the sting of the pandemic.
A Montana cannabis legalization campaign that sued the state to allow digital signature collection had their case dismissed last week, but organizers say they may file an appeal and will be pushing ahead despite the legal setback.
In Arizona, the organizers of a legalization effort are petitioning the state Supreme Court to instruct the secretary of state to allow people to sign cannabis petitions digitally using an existing electronic system that is currently reserved for individual candidates seeking public office.
A California campaign seeking to amend the stateâs cannabis law also asked for a digital petitioning option.
A campaign to legalize cannabis in Missouri officially gave up its effort for 2020 last month due to signature collection being virtually impossible in the face of social distancing measures.
Idaho medical cannabis activists announced that they are suspending their ballot campaign, though they are still âfocusing on distributing petitions through online download at IdahoCann.co and encouraging every volunteer who has downloaded a petition to get them turned in to their county clerkâs office by mail, regardless of how many signatures they have collected.â
North Dakota advocates said that they are suspending their campaign to put marijuana legalization on the November ballot due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Activists behind a campaign to legalize medical cannabis in Nebraska are holding out hope that they will qualify and recently unveiled a new strategy amid the pandemic.
In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) conceded last month that the 2020 legalization push is âeffectively overâ in the legislature. Coronavirus shifted priorities, and comprehensive cannabis reform seems to have proved too complicated an issue in the short-term.
It’s not all bad news in 2020 for the reform movement, however. Prior to the outbreak and stay-at-home mandates, measures to legalize marijuana for medical and recreational purposes qualified for South Dakota’s November ballot.
The New Jersey legislature approved putting a cannabis legalization referendum before voters as well.
And in Mississippi, activists gathered enough signatures to qualify a medical cannabis legalization initiative for the ballotâthough lawmakers also approved a competing (and from advocates’ standpoint, less desirable) medical marijuana proposal that will appear alongside the campaign-backed initiative.
The D.C. psychedelics decriminalization ballot petition can be downloaded and signed below:
Top Minnesota Lawmaker Unveils Long-Delayed ‘Best’ Marijuana Legalization Bill In The Country
Photo elements courtesy of carlosemmaskype and Apollo.
The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) recently reached out for help burning “at least” 1,000 pounds of marijuana per hour for eight hours straight.
Every year, DEA seizes millions of marijuana plants and literal tons of raw cannabis, which eventually end up being destroyed. The successful contractor in Arizona would be responsible for burning marijuana and other controlled substances seized as evidence in drug cases âto a point where there are no detectable levels, as measured by standard analytical methods, of byproduct from the destruction process.”
“DEA shall inspect the incinerator to ensure no drug residue remains,â the agency said.
DEA posted the work description earlier this month in whatâs called a âsources sought notice,â an initial step before a formal request for proposals is sent.
âThis is not a request for proposals and does not obligate the Government to award a contract,â the post says. âThe Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) is conducting market research, and is encouraging all businesses, including small businesses, to respond to this notice.â
An accompanying statement of work gives a behind-the-scenes look at the DEAâs process of destroying seized drugs. Typical boxes weigh between 40 and 60 pounds, for example, but can weigh up to 200 pounds. Contraband might come in on âsemi-trucks, tractor trailers, cargo vans, fork lifts, etc.,â the work description says.
âThe drugs are usually tightly compressed âbricksâ or âbales,ââ it continues, and are packaged in all sorts of materials: cardboard, wrapping paper, plastic wrap, aluminum foil, packing tape, âduct tape and derivatives,â plastic evidence bags, âgrease/oilâ and others. Contractors will be expected to burn that stuff, too.
To avoid potential contact highs, there must be âproper ventilation” and “no smoke buildupâ will be allowed. Other mandates include closed-circuit cameras that capture the entire process, which DEA reserves the right to access, as well as background checks and regular drug tests of all personnel.
Armed DEA agents and contractors will be present during scheduled burns.
The work is also very hush-hush, so whoever gets the job shouldn’t expect to regale friends with stories of the latest large-scale federal weed burning sesh.
âThe contractor and its personnel shall hold all information obtained under the DEA contract in the strictest confidence,â the work description says. âAll information obtained shall be used only for performing this contract and shall not be divulged nor made known in any manner except as necessary to perform this contract.â
The work would start January 1 of next year and the contract would expire in 2026 unless terminated sooner. The deadline to send information for would-be contractors was Friday.
Photo courtesy of Chris Wallis // Side Pocket Images
Politics
Harris Will Give Biden ‘Honest’ Input On Legalizing Marijuana And Other Issues As Part Of ‘Deal’
Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris says she has a “deal” with Joe Biden to candidly share her perspective on a range of progressive policies he currently opposes, including legalizing marijuana. Separately, she also recently discussed cannabis reform in a private meeting with rapper Killer Mike.
During an interview on 60 Minutes that aired on Sunday, the senator was pressed on marijuana and numerous other issues where she and Biden disagree. In response, while she didn’t specifically commit to proactively advocating for comprehensive cannabis reform, she pledged in general that she would always share her views with the would-be president if the pair are elected next week.
“What I will doâand I promise you this and this is what Joe wants me to do, this was part of our dealâI will always share with him my lived experience as it relates to any issue that we confront,” she said after the interviewer listed cannabis legalization among a handful of issues on which she and Biden depart. “I promised Joe that I will give him that perspective and always be honest with him.”
If elected, would Kamala Harris advocate for Medicare for All, a plan Joe Biden doesnât support?
âI would not have joined the ticket if I didn't support what Joe was proposing,â says Senator Harris. https://t.co/8ne3USJZqO pic.twitter.com/dFDf0GBFk9
— 60 Minutes (@60Minutes) October 26, 2020
Asked whether that perspective will be “socialist” and “progressive,” Harris laughed and said “no.”
“It is the perspective of a woman who grew up a black child in America, who was also a prosecutor, who also has a mother who arrived here at the age of 19 from India, who also, you know, likes hip hop,” she said.
The senator’s taste in music also came up during her own 2020 presidential bid, when she said in an interview that she listened to Snoop Dogg and Tupac while smoking marijuana during college despite graduating before those artists released their debut albums.
Music culture has played a key role in this election cycle, and one of the strongest voices for criminal justice reform in the industry is Killer Mike, who worked as a surrogate for Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) when he was running for the Democratic presidential nomination. The artist said he met with Harris on Friday and the two discussed cannabis business opportunities for communities of color.
Just had a meeting with Sen. Harris.
My points *Dems Need to be heavy on the door KnoxâN, HR40 tweek it better and have Biden Sign, Fed Trades Programs for worker class Americans so u can build, Black men exit prison and entrance to marijuana biz as a priority for biz and jobs— Killer Mike (@KillerMike) October 23, 2020
As she’s done repeatedly since joining Biden’s campaign, Harris also reiterated at a rally in Pontiac, Michigan on Sunday that the administration would pursue marijuana decriminalization and expunging prior cannabis convictions.
She made similar comments during a campaign event in Atlanta last week, stating that the âwar on drugs was, by every measure, a failure, and black men were hit the hardest.â That said, while the senator has come to embrace broad cannabis reform, she’s faced criticism over her past opposition to legalization and role in prosecuting people for marijuana offenses as a California prosecutor.
In another interview released last week, Harris said she and Biden “have a commitment to decriminalizing marijuana and expunging the records of people who have been convicted of marijuana offenses.”
“When you look at the awful war on drugs and the disproportionate impact it had on black men and creating then criminal records that have deprived people of access to jobs and housing and basic benefits,” she said.
Thereâs been some frustration among cannabis reform advocates that Harris has scaled back her reform push since joining the Democratic ticket as Bidenâs running mate. During her own run for the presidential nomination, she called for comprehensive marijuana legalization but has in recent weeks focused her comments on the more modest reforms of decriminalization and expungement.
Harris, who is the lead Senate sponsor of a bill to federally deschedule marijuana, said last month that a Biden administration would not be âhalf-steppinââ cannabis reform or pursuing âincrementalism,â but thatâs exactly how advocates would define simple decriminalization.
In any case, the senator has repeatedly discussed cannabis decriminalization on the trail. She similarly said during a vice presidential debate earlier this month that she and Biden âwill decriminalize marijuana and we will expunge the records of those who have been convicted of marijuana.â
In addition to those policies, Biden backs modestly rescheduling the drug under federal law, letting states set their own policies and legalizing medical cannabis.
Musician John Legend Endorses Drug Decriminalization Ballot Measure In Oregon
Photo element courtesy of California Attorney General’s Office.
A Tennessee senator touted his support for legalizing medical marijuana in a campaign ad released on Friday.
In the 30-second spot, which has notably high production value for this kind of local race, state Sen. Steve Dickerson (R) talks about both the therapeutic benefits of cannabis and the consequences of broader marijuana criminalization.
“As your state senator, I’ve led the fight to legalize medical marijuana so our veterans and sickest Tennesseans can deal with chronic pain,” he said. “But this same life-saving plant has led to mass incarceration, with nonviolent marijuana possession resulting in lengthy prison sentences.”
Itâs past time for Tennessee to legalize medical cannabis and give our sickest residents a smart, safe treatment to help with chronic pain. Legalization and securing criminal justice reform have been my top priorities, and I wonât stop fighting until weâve changed the law. pic.twitter.com/28eFUy3loZ
— Steve Dickerson (@DickersonforS20) October 23, 2020
“I think that’s wrong. That’s why I’ve been pushing for criminal justice reform,” the senator added.
Dickerson, who sponsored a medical cannabis legalization bill that cleared a Senate committee in March, said in a Q&A published earlier this month that the policy change would be among his top three legislative priorities if he’s reelected.
His Democratic opponent, former Oak Hill Mayor Heidi Campbell, is in favor of “fully legalizing marijuana,” with her campaign site stating that cannabis crimes “disproportionately impact people of color and itâs time to end marijuana prohibition.”
But while Dickerson has earned a reputation as a moderate Republican given his positions on issues like cannabis reform, he’s faced backlash after declining to denounce an independent ad taken out on his behalf that some, including the LGBTQ rights organization Tennessee Equality Project (TEP), called racist.
The ad, which was paid for by Lt. Gov. Randy McNally’s (R) political action committee MCPAC, hits Campbell over her support for a nonprofit organization that is designed to keep young people out of prison, and it frames the group as “radical” and “extremist.” TEP rescinded their endorsement of Dickerson over his refusal to condemn the ad.
In the Tennessee legislature, marijuana reform has yet to passâbut there’s growing recognition that voters are in favor of the policy change. For example, former House Speaker Glen Casada (R) released the results of a constituent survey last year that showed 73 percent of those in his district back medical cannabis legalization.
Another former GOP House speaker, Beth Harwell, highlighted her support for the reform proposal during her unsuccessful bid for governor in 2018, and she referenced President Trump’s stated support for medical marijuana on the campaign trail.
In other Tennessee drug policy politics, a lawmaker in June blocked a resolution to honor murdered teen Ashanti Posey because she was allegedly involved in a low-level cannabis sale the day she was killed.
New York Will Legalize Marijuana ‘Soon’ To Aid Economic Recovery From COVID, Governor Cuomo Says
Photo courtesy of Philip Steffan.
