DRUG POLICY ACTION
131 WEST 33RD STREET 15TH FLOOR, NEW YORK, NY 10001 www.drugpolicyaction.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: TO ADVOCATE FOR REFORM OF FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL AND FOREIGN LAWS ON DRUG POLICY, EDUCATING AMERICANS AT THE GRASSROOTS LEVEL ABOUT DRUG POLICY AND INVOLVING THEM IN EFFORTS TO ENSURE THAT GOVERNMENT POLICIES ON THESE ISSUES EFFECTIVELY ADVANCE THE PUBLIC INTEREST.

DRUG POLICY ACTION UNDERTAKES A WIDE RANGE OF ACTIVITIES INCLUDING ISSUE ADVOCACY. WE WORK TO PASS NEW DRUG LAWS AND POLICIES GROUNDED IN SCIENCE, COMPASSION, HEALTH AND HUMAN RIGHTS - AND TO ELECT CANDIDATES AT EVERY LEVEL 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, AND HUMAN RIGHTS. WE ADVOCATE FOR LAW AND POLICY CHANGE AT THE LOCAL, STATE, AND FEDERAL LEVELS, INCLUDING THROUGH LEGISLATIVE AND BALLOT MEASURE ADVOCACY.THE GOALS OF DRUG POLICY ACTION ARE THREEFOLD. FIRST, WE SEEK TO PUT AN END TO PUNISHING PEOPLE FOR DRUG USE AND POSSESSION BY ROLLING BACK CRIMINAL PENALTIES AND DECARCERATING PRISONS AND JAILS AND DETENTION CENTERS. SECOND, WE SEEK TO REPLACE CANNABIS ("MARIJUANA") PROHIBITION WITH A SYSTEM OF SENSIBLE REGULATIONS THAT ADVANCE RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND REPAIR THE HARMS OF CRIMINALIZATION. AND THIRD, WE SEEK TO ESTABLISH COMPASSIONATE, EVIDENCE-BASED SERVICES TO PREVENT DRUG OVERDOSE DEATHS AND PROVIDE ASSISTANCE TO PEOPLE STRUGGLING WITH SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS.

BALLOT INITIATIVES:THIS PAST YEAR, OUR TOP PRIORITY CAMPAIGNS WERE AIMED AT REFORMING CANNABIS POLICIES AT THE STATE LEVEL. CANNABIS PROHIBITION DIRECTLY HARMS MORE PEOPLE THAN ANY OTHER SINGLE DRUG POLICY. EVEN AS MORE STATES CREATE LEGAL MARKETS, MORE THAN 600,000 PEOPLE WERE ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA POSSESSION IN 2018. THE CONSEQUENCES CAN BE SEVERE, INCLUDING JOB LOSS, INELIGIBILITY FOR PUBLIC HOUSING AND OTHER SOCIAL SERVICES, DENIAL OF STUDENT AID, SEPARATION OF FAMILIES, AND DEPORTATION. DRUG POLICY ACTION ADVOCATES FOR A SENSIBLE APPROACH TO CANNABIS LEGALIZATION THAT ADVANCES SOCIAL JUSTICE AND RACIAL EQUITY. IN PLACES WHERE LEGALIZATION IS NOT YET POLITICALLY FEASIBLE, ESPECIALLY THOSE HARDEST HIT BY PROHIBITION SUCH AS THE SOUTH AND MIDWEST, WE SUPPORT CAMPAIGNS TO DECRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA AND/OR ESTABLISH MEDICAL ACCESS. WE BRING UNIQUE VALUE TO THIS STRUGGLE, WITH OUR FOCUS ON RACIAL EQUITY AND SOCIAL JUSTICE AND OUR INTENTIONAL INDEPENDENCE FROM THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. WE ARE ENSURING THAT CANNABIS REGULATION IS NOT JUST DONE BUT DONE RIGHT.MICHIGAN - $100,000DRUG POLICY ACTION CONTRIBUTED $100,000 TO THE COALITION TO REGULATE MARIJUANA LIKE ALCOHOL IN MICHIGAN. IN ADDITION TO FUNDING, DRUG POLICY ACTION PLAYED A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN DRAFTING THE INITIATIVE, KNOWN AS PROPOSAL 1. ON NOVEMBER 6, 2018, THE INITIATIVE WAS APPROVED BY VOTERS BY A 56-44 MARGIN, MAKING MICHIGAN THE FIRST MIDWESTERN STATE TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA. THE INITIATIVE ALLOWS FOR THE POSSESSION OF UP TO 2.5 OUNCES OF MARIJUANA AND CULTIVATION OF UP TO 12 PLANTS FOR PERSONAL USE, WHILE ALSO ESTABLISHING A LEGAL FRAMEWORK FOR THE LICENSING AND REGULATION OF MARIJUANA BUSINESSES AND PRODUCTS.MISSISSIPPI - $50,000DRUG POLICY ACTION CONTRIBUTED $50,000 TO MISSISSIPPIANS FOR COMPASSIONATE CARE TO CAMPAIGN FOR THE LEGALIZATION OF MEDICAL CANNABIS IN THE STATE. WE BELIEVE IT IS IMPERATIVE TO ADVANCE SUCH AN IMPACTFUL REFORM IN MISSISSIPPI, WHERE THE PUNISHMENTS FOR POSSESSION REMAIN BRUTAL, AND PATIENTS SUFFER WITHOUT ACCESS TO THE MEDICINE THEY NEED. IN ADDITION TO PROVIDING FUNDING, WE WORKED WITH LOCAL CAMPAIGNERS TO ENSURE THE MEASURE'S VIABILITY, HELPED DRAFT THE INITIATIVE, SUPPORTED THE SIGNATURE COLLECTION EFFORT TO QUALIFY FOR THE BALLOT, AND ADVISED THE LOCAL TEAM ON CAMPAIGNING STRATEGIES. WE WERE THE FIRST NATIONAL ORGANIZATION TO ENGAGE WITH THE CAMPAIGN. MISSISSIPPI RESIDENTS WILL DECIDE WHETHER TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL MARIJUANA WHEN THEY VOTE ON INITIATIVE 65 ON NOVEMBER 3, 2020.MISSOURI - $33,500DRUG POLICY ACTION CONTRIBUTED $33,500 TO THE NEW APPROACH MISSOURI CAMPAIGN TO LEGALIZE MEDICAL CANNABIS AND ALLOW PATIENTS WITH MEDICAL CONDITIONS TO USE IT UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THEIR DOCTORS. IN ADDITION TO CONTRIBUTING FINANCIAL SUPPORT, DRUG POLICY ACTION JOINED A COALITION OF NATIONAL AND LOCAL ADVOCATES AND PROVIDED ADVICE ON THE OVERALL CAMPAIGN STRATEGY. ON NOVEMBER 6, 2018, VOTERS OVERWHELMINGLY APPROVED AMENDMENT 2, MAKING MISSOURI THE 32ND MEDICAL CANNABIS STATE, WITH SUPPORT FROM NEARLY TWO THIRDS OF MISSOURI VOTERS, WITH 65% VOTING YES. NORTH DAKOTA - $25,000DRUG POLICY ACTION CONTRIBUTED $25,000 TO LEGALIZE ND, A GRASSROOTS ORGANIZATION THAT CAMPAIGNS FOR MEASURE 3, A BALLOT INITIATIVE THAT WOULD HAVE LEGALIZED THE RECREATIONAL USE OF CANNABIS IN THE STATE OF NORTH DAKOTA FOR PEOPLE 21 YEARS OF AGE OR OLDER, AND CREATED AN AUTOMATIC EXPUNGEMENT PROCESS FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH MARIJUANA CONVICTIONS. A YES VOTE WOULD HAVE MADE NORTH DAKOTA THE FIRST RED STATE TO LEGALIZE MARIJUANA. ALTHOUGH THE INITIATIVE WAS DEFEATED, WE REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT NORTH DAKOTA WILL SOON LEGALIZE CANNABIS AND REPAIR THE HARMS OF DECADES OF PROHIBITION AND CRIMINALIZATION.

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 AND DRUG USE. DRUG POLICY ACTION'S LOBBYING ACTIVITIES FOCUSED PRIMARILY ON SUPPORTING PROPOSITION 64 IN CALIFORNIA, AN INITIATIVE LEGALIZING RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA FOR PERSONS AGED 21 YEARS OR OLDER UNDER STATE LAW AND ESTABLISHING CERTAIN SALES AND CULTIVATION TAXES.

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