Drug Policy Action

DRUG POLICY ACTION IS A NATIONAL ADVOCACY ORGANIZATION WORKING TO ENACT NEW DRUG LAWS AND POLICIES GROUNDED IN SCIENCE, COMPASSION, HEALTH, EQUITY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS, AND SUPPORTS CANDIDATES FOR PUBLIC OFFICE WHO SUPPORT THESE PRINCIPLES.

GENERAL ADVOCACY: DRUG POLICY ACTION WORKS TO END THE WAR ON DRUGS. WE SEEK TO DISMANTLE THE SYSTEM OF MASS CRIMINALIZATION THAT UNDERGIRDS THE DRUG WAR AND BUILD AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH TO DRUGS GROUNDED IN SCIENCE, COMPASSION, HEALTH, EQUITY, AND HUMAN RIGHTS. WE ADVOCATE FOR LAW AND POLICY CHANGE AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS, INCLUDING THROUGH LEGISLATIVE AND BALLOT MEASURE ADVOCACY.DRUG POLICY ACTION'S GOALS ARE THREEFOLD. FIRST, WE SEEK TO ELIMINATE CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR DRUG POSSESSION AND EXPAND SERVICES FOR PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE USE. SECOND, WE SEEK TO REMOVE PUNITIVE RESPONSES TO DRUG USE IN CIVIL SYSTEMS. AND THIRD, WE SEEK TO REPLACE MARIJUANA PROHIBITION WITH A SYSTEM OF SENSIBLE REGULATIONS THAT ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND REPAIR THE HARMS OF CRIMINALIZATION.

DRUG POLICY ACTION ADVANCED THE FOLLOWING BALLOT INITIATIVES AND LEGISLATIVE CAMPAIGNS:1) NEW JERSEY - S3009 & S34932) MISSISSIPPI - MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CANNABIS ACT3) WASHINGTON - INITIATIVE 19224) OKLAHOMA - QUESTION 8205) AUSTIN, TEXAS - PROPOSITION A1) NEW JERSEY - S3009 AND S3493 TO SAVE THE LIVES OF PEOPLE WHO USE DRUGSDRUG POLICY ACTION SUPPORTED THE PASSAGE OF THE SYRINGE ACCESS BILL (S3009/A4847) AND THE SYRINGE DECRIMINALIZATION BILL (S3493/A-5458). THESE PIECES OF LEGISLATION ARE INTENDED TO EXPAND SYRINGE ACCESS AND OTHER HARM REDUCTION SERVICES IN NEW JERSEY, AND WERE PASSED BY THE STATE LEGISLATURE AND SIGNED INTO LAW BY THE GOVERNOR IN JANUARY 2022. THE SYRINGE ACCESS BILL REMOVES THE RESTRICTIVE MUNICIPAL ORDINANCE REQUIREMENT THAT LIMITS ACCESS TO LIFESAVING SYRINGE SERVICES IN NEW JERSEY. THE SYRINGE DECRIMINALIZATION BILL DECRIMINALIZES POSSESSION OF SYRINGES AND ALLOWS FOR EXPUNGEMENT OF PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS. DRUG POLICY ACTION WORKED CLOSELY WITH THE NEW JERSEY HARM REDUCTION COALITION TO PASS THIS LEGISLATIVE PACKAGE.2) MISSISSIPPI - MISSISSIPPI MEDICAL CANNABIS ACT TO PROTECT THE RIGHTS OF PATIENTSIN 2020, DRUG POLICY ACTION SUPPORTED INITIATIVE 65 TO LEGALIZE ACCESS TO MARIJUANA FOR MEDICINAL PURPOSES IN MISSISSIPPI. THIS PASSED ON ELECTION DAY WITH 74% OF THE VOTE; HOWEVER, THE MEASURE WAS OVERTURNED IN 2021 BY THE STATE SUPREME COURT. THIS YEAR, DRUG POLICY ACTION WORKED CLOSELY WITH OUR LOCAL ALLIES TO ADVANCE THE PASSAGE OF MEDICAL MARIJUANA LEGALIZATION IN THE STATE LEGISLATURE. THE GOVERNOR SIGNED IT INTO LAW IN FEBRUARY 2022. WHILE DRUG POLICY ACTION CELEBRATES PROGRESS ANYWHERE, WE ARE PARTICULARLY ENCOURAGED BY SUCH A VICTORY TAKING PLACE IN THE SOUTH WHICH HAS SUFFERED UNDER SOME OF THE MOST REPRESSIVE DRUG WAR POLICIES IN THE COUNTRY.3) WASHINGTON - INITIATIVE 1922 TO TREAT DRUG USE AS A HEALTH ISSUE, NOT A CRIMINAL PROBLEMDRUG POLICY ACTION SUPPORTED INITIATIVE 1922 TO END CRIMINAL PENALTIES FOR THE PERSONAL POSSESSION OF ALL DRUGS, AND REDIRECT FUNDS FROM STATE MARIJUANA REVENUES TO LOCAL PREVENTION, OUTREACH, AND RECOVERY SUPPORT SERVICES THAT ADDRESS THE ROOT CAUSES OF SUBSTANCE USE DISORDER. DRUG POLICY ACTION PARTNERED WITH LOCAL ALLIES TO HELP DRAFT THE INITIATIVE AND ADVANCE SIGNATURE GATHERING.4) OKLAHOMA - QUESTION 820 TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA DRUG POLICY ACTION SUPPORTED THE OKLAHOMA BALLOT CAMPAIGN FOR STATE QUESTION 820, TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA AND PROVIDE SIGNIFICANT EXPUNGEMENT PROVISIONS FOR PEOPLE CONVICTED OF MARIJUANA OFFENSES. ALTHOUGH IT WAS MODELED AFTER THE STATE'S MEDICAL MARIJUANA LAW, THE CAMPAIGN DID NOT QUALIFY. 5) AUSTIN, TEXAS - PROPOSITION A TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA POSSESSIONIN TEXAS, WHERE THERE IS NO STATEWIDE BALLOT INITIATIVE OPTION, DRUG POLICY ACTION WORKED WITH LOCAL ALLIES TO MAKE INCREMENTAL PROGRESS AT THE CITY AND COUNTY LEVELS. WE MADE A SIGNIFICANT STEP FORWARD IN AUSTIN IN MAY 2022, WHEN VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY PASSED PROPOSITION A WITH OVER 85% OF THE VOTE. AS A RESULT OF THE MEASURE'S PASSAGE, AUSTIN POLICE CAN NO LONGER ARREST PEOPLE FOR POSSESSING SMALL AMOUNTS OF MARIJUANA, AND THEY ARE BANNED FROM USING NO-KNOCK WARRANTS TO FORCIBLY ENTER HOMES AND PROPERTIES UNANNOUNCED.

LOBBYING ACTIVITIES:IN CONNECTION WITH ITS PRINCIPLE PURPOSE OF PROMOTING SOCIAL WELFARE THROUGH INFLUENCING POLICY AND LEGISLATION, DRUG POLICY ACTION LOBBIES FEDERAL, STATE, AND LOCAL LEGISLATIVE LEADERS IN AN ATTEMPT TO PERSUADE THEM TO SPONSOR, PROMOTE, AND/OR SUPPORT POLICIES AND LEGISLATION THAT IMPROVE LAWS RELATED TO DRUGS.