Advocates
for the repeal of marijuana prohibition will be back in the 2015 session of the
General Assembly in support of legislation that would regulate and tax
marijuana like alcohol.
Locally this effort is being organized by the excellent
people over at Regulate Rhode Island,
a coalition of citizens and organizations hoping to legalize the adult
recreational use of marijuana and end the cruel and pointless incarceration of
users.
An
excellent piece in Sunday’s Providence Journal updates the national scene — on November
4, Oregon, Alaska, and D.C. joined Washington state and Colorado on the road to
sanity. Reg RI director Jared Moffat says it best (although I am also quoted in
this piece).
“The results are in, and marijuana prohibition is on its way out,” said Moffat in a statement. “Americans are fed up with wasteful and ineffective laws that punish adults for using a less harmful substance than alcohol. The results are particularly encouraging since voter turnout during a midterm election is typically smaller, older and more conservative. Clearly, support for ending marijuana prohibition spans the political and ideological spectrums.”
The
legislation never made it out of committee last year, but the turmoil in the
general assembly at that time cannot be overstated. Prior to the whole Fox
mishegoss, the bill actually had good support on both sides of the aisle.
And
while my own advocacy focuses on the social justice issues involved, the news
out of Colorado and Washington regarding the economic benefits (tax revenues
and job creation) may be what puts this over the top this year.
Regulate
Rhode Island has organized an educational community
forum, including Q&A from the audience, on marijuana policy and the
proposal to regulate marijuana similarly to alcohol in Rhode Island.
Scheduled
panelists include: Professor emeritus Dr. David Lewis who established the Center for Alcohol and Addiction Studies at
Brown University in 1982;RI Senator Josh Miller who,
with Rep. Edith Ajello, is sponsoring the Tax & Regulate legislation;Mason Tvert of
the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP); public health researcher Michelle McKenzie; myself, a former police officer and
speaker for Law Enforcement Against
Prohibition (LEAP); and more. There will be two separate panels.
Opposition to
marijuana reform often stems from the misguided belief that prohibition is
somehow protecting the children, which is why I love
having Michelle McKenzie on these panels. Because, in addition to her public health credentials, she
speaks as the mother of two daughters, and handily dismantles that assumption.
“As a public health researcher, I know that regulation works. Over the past 20 years, we have reduced levels of teen cigarette use by nearly 50 percent, and we have done it through enacting strict regulations and providing comprehensive, evidence-based public education. We can do the same thing when it comes to marijuana. I am confident that regulating marijuana will make Rhode Island a safer and healthier place to live.”
Of course, you
don’t have to be a mother to make that argument. At any rate, Regulate RI has
lined up an array of knowledgeable speakers who have traveled widely disparate
paths to reach the same conclusion — marijuana should be legalized.
Free and open to the public, 6:30pm to 8:30pm,
Tuesday, November 18, Brown University, List Art Building, 64 College Street, Room 120, Facebook event page.
Thanksgiving
is coming up. You will likely have a captive, multi-generational audience and
be in need of topics to discuss. Go to “Why Regulate?” at
Regulate RI for your talking points!
