April 20, “4/20,” has long been established as an unofficial holiday to celebrate the cannabis plant. Its roots are reportedly in a code used by 1970s high school students in Calfornia. And their reasons for secrecy hint at why, in 2023, United States social justice advocates are using the day to demand federal action. They want to free all people incarcerated for marijuana charges and fully legalize the drug.
A coalition of 85 advocacy organizations led by the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA) has sent an open letter to President Joe Biden, demanding that he work with Congress to deschedule cannabis, removing it from criminal drug laws, and approve legislation to legalize and regulate it.
Separately, Students for Sensible Drug Policy (SSDP) has organized a national lobby day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC. Students from around the country are speaking with their representatives and senators to support descheduling cannabis, expanding psychedelic research and therapy, and having the Department of Education adopt harm reduction policies on college campuses.
“To end and repair the harms of decades of racially discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws, we need complete and comprehensive legislative reform.”
Despite majority public support for cannabis legalization among Democrats, independents and even Republican voters, Congress and Biden have failed to change the status quo of federal prohibition. Legalization bills have stalled in the House and Senate, and Biden has so far taken just one major executive action on cannabis, with limited impact.
“You have already taken an important initial step toward ending the failed policy of federal marijuana prohibition,” the coalition’s letter reads. “To end and repair the harms of decades of racially discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws, we need complete and comprehensive legislative reform. This is not only the right thing to do, it is the popular thing as well.”
“We implore you to take whatever steps are necessary to make sure marijuana is descheduled,” it continues, “and encourage Congress to pass comprehensive legislation that includes criminal justice reform, repairing and centering communities most harmed by prohibition and criminalization, and a regulatory framework that is rooted in equity, justice, and public health.”
Although 21 states and Washington, DC have legalized cannabis for adult use, arrests for possession and other charges continue to disrupt lives nationwide every day. According to DPA, someone is arrested for cannabis every 90 seconds, with Black, Indigenous and Latinx people disproportionately targeted. Consequences are particularly severe for immigrants, documented or undocumented: People can be denied green cards or citizenship because of cannabis use, and drug arrests lead to many immigrants being detained or deported.
Biden has continued to oppose full cannabis legalization, while supporting narrower reforms. But after decades in public office, he finds himself in a shrinking minority among the general public and his own party.
Years of advocates’ efforts resulted in the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which the Democratic-controlled House passed in a historic vote in December 2020. But with President Trump in office and Republicans in control of the Senate, it was unlikely to move. The big opportunity came over a year later: In April 2022, the House passed the same bill, but with Democratic control of the Senate and Biden in the White House, the chance to advance it was wasted.
Despite that, Senate Democrats, including Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), continued negotiations for their own legalization bill. In July 2022, they unveiled the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act. But again, legalization took a back seat and the Senate hasn’t held a vote since.
Finally that October, a month before the midterms, Biden announced the first major cannabis action of his term: issuing a pardon for all federal marijuana possession convictions, and ordering federal agencies to review how cannabis is classified by criminal drug law.
It was an important step. But it was more symbolic than substantive, because no one was in federal custody for marijuana possession alone at that time, and convictions for cultivation, sale and trafficking were ineligible for relief. No one was released from prison or jail because of Biden’s order.
As recent history shows, even complete Democratic control of Congress and the White House won’t guarantee progress.
The scheduling review got underway, however, and the department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is expected to make a decision on whether it will recommend keeping marijuana as a Schedule I substance (illegal for any use), moving it to Schedule II or lower (legal for medical use) or descheduling it entirely, like alcohol. (When exactly that decision will come is unclear.)
In the third year of Biden’s term, political dynamics have shifted. Republicans taking back the House have blocked the path to legalization once again. But as recent history shows, even complete Democratic control of Congress and the White House won’t guarantee progress. In any circumstances, advocates have to keep the pressure on.
SSDP’s 4/20 lobby day is an example of that. It’s part of a whole week of action, as students from across the US meet in DC to learn, train and advocate together.
Maya Tatum, an SSDP alum from Arizona State University, told Filter that on April 19, a large group of students visited the offices of Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) and Representative Earl Blumenauer (D-OR). Unlike Scott, Blumenauer has been a champion of cannabis reform for many years, and students had the opportunity to meet him in person.
“We were standing in the hallway,” Tatum said, “chatting with someone from his staff … and he walked up and started speaking to us. He went around and let folks give their personal testimonial about why they’re here, and what they’re lobbying for. He was very receptive to the message.”
But 4/20 itself is the busiest day, with students rushing through the tunnels beneath the Capitol to meet with numerous representatives and senators from their own states. “We have people who came to town from all over, and our staff coordinated so they can meet [their elected officials],” Tatum said. “We have over 20 meetings between all of our different chapters.”
Mary Bailey, managing director of the Last Prisoner Project, told Filter that her organization is also participating in the lobbying actions, supporting the students and calling for all people incarcerated on cannabis charges to be free. Bailey said she’s inspired by the hard work students and SSDP staff have put in.
“First they had to take a deep dive and get the contacts for all the offices,” she said. “Then they did outreach and followup to find times that work for these legislators. It definitely takes a lot of work on the back end to get the meetings scheduled in the first place. Then doing all the organizing, seeing them do trainings with the students—they have talking points to share with these legislators.”
“It’s a beautiful thing to see,” she said.
Tatum explained how students are tailoring their messages to different elected officials in both parties, who have very different views. Because SSDP is speaking not just about cannabis but also psychedelics, overdose and harm reduction, she said, there’s a chance for students and representatives to agree on something.
“It really touched my heart and gives me hope we will be able to offer freedom for these people.”
“We approach everything from an educational standpoint and telling the representatives about what we’re focused on,” she said. “We’ve been talking about rescheduling and having some kind of expungement process for people who were charged with marijuana crimes in states where it’s now legal.”
Students are also sharing personal testimonies of how cannabis policy has negatively impacted them, she continued. “Obviously not every representative is going to be on board with what we’re doing, but we just try to get the message across and hope we find common ground.”
Bailey added that she and a group got to meet with Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) on April 19. Booker, as one of the sponsors of the Senate bill, is another longtime supporter of cannabis legalization.
“It was really incredible to have the opportunity to show him a printed book of prisoner profiles,” Bailey said. “To see the look on his face when he saw pictures of cannabis prisoners who are serving life sentences, to hear him say he supports efforts to release them, and that he wants to help do this work, it really touched my heart and gives me hope we will be able to offer freedom for these people.”
Top photograph of students meeting Rep. Blumenauer and inset photograph of students at the Capitol courtesy of SSDP
The Influence Foundation, which operates Filter, previously received a restricted grant from DPA to support a Drug War Journalism Diversity Fellowship.
Show Comments
Brian Kelly
Cannabis consumers in all states deserve and demand equal rights and protections under our laws that are currently afforded to the drinkers of far more dangerous and deadly, yet perfectly legal, widely accepted, endlessly advertised and even glorified as an All-American pastime, alcohol.
Plain and simple!
Legalize Nationwide Federally Now!
It’s time for us, the majority of The People to take back control of our national cannabis policy. By voting OUT of office any and all politicians who very publicly and vocally admit to having an anti-cannabis, prohibitionist agenda! Time to vote’em all OUT of office. Period. Plain and simple.
Politicians who continue to demonize Cannabis, Corrupt Law Enforcement Officials who prefer to ruin peoples lives over Cannabis possession rather than solve real crimes who fund their departments toys and salaries with monies acquired through cannabis home raids, seizures and forfeitures, and so-called “Addiction Specialists” who make their income off of the judicial misfortunes of our citizens who choose cannabis, – Your actions go against The Will of The People and Your Days In Office Are Numbered! Find new careers before you don’t have one.
The People have spoken! Get on-board with Cannabis Legalization Nationwide, or be left behind and find new careers. Your choice.
Brian Kelly
The “War on Cannabis” has been a complete and utter failure. It is the largest component of the broader yet equally unsuccessful “War on Drugs” that has cost our country over a trillion dollars.
Instead of The United States wasting Billions upon Billions more of our yearly tax dollars fighting a never ending “War on Cannabis”, lets generate Billions of dollars, and improve the deficit instead. Especially now, due to Covid-19. It’s a no brainer.
The Prohibition of Cannabis has also ruined the lives of many of our loved ones. In numbers greater than any other nation, our loved ones are being sent to jail and are being given permanent criminal records. Especially, if they happen to be of the “wrong” skin color or they happen to be from the “wrong” neighborhood. Which ruin their chances of employment for the rest of their lives, and for what reason?
Cannabis is much safer to consume than alcohol. Yet do we lock people up for choosing to drink?
Let’s end this hypocrisy now!
The government should never attempt to legislate morality by creating victim-less cannabis “crimes” because it simply does not work and costs the taxpayers a fortune.
Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide! Support Each and Every Cannabis Legalization Initiative!
Brian Kelly
What we certainly don’t need are anymore people who feel justified in appointing themselves to be self-deputized morality police.
We are very capable of choosing for ourselves if we want to consume cannabis, a far less dangerous choice over alcohol, and we definitely don’t need anyone dictating how we should live our own lives.
We can’t just lock up everyone who does things prohibitionists don’t personally approve of.
Fear of Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is unfounded. Not based on any science or fact whatsoever. So please prohibitionists, we beg you to give your scare tactics, “Conspiracy Theories” and “Doomsday Scenarios” over the inevitable Legalization of Cannabis Nationwide a rest. Nobody is buying them anymore these days. Okay?
Furthermore, if all prohibitionists get when they look into that nice, big and shiny crystal ball of theirs, while wondering about the future of cannabis legalization, is horror, doom, and despair, well then I suggest they return that thing as quickly as possible and reclaim the money they shelled out for it, since it’s obviously defective.
The prohibition of cannabis has not decreased the supply nor the demand for cannabis at all. Not one single iota, and it never will. Just a huge and complete waste of our tax dollars to continue criminalizing citizens for choosing a natural, non-toxic, relatively benign plant proven to be much safer than alcohol.
If prohibitionists are going to take it upon themselves to worry about “saving us all” from ourselves, then they need to start with the drug that causes more death and destruction than every other drug in the world COMBINED, which is alcohol!
Why do prohibitionists feel the continued need to vilify and demonize cannabis when they could more wisely focus their efforts on a real, proven killer, alcohol, which again causes more destruction, violence, and death than all other drugs, COMBINED?
Prohibitionists really should get their priorities straight and/or practice a little live and let live. They’ll live longer, happier, and healthier, with a lot less stress if they refrain from being bent on trying to control others through Draconian Cannabis Laws.
Brian Kelly
There is absolutely no doubt now that the majority of Americans want to completely legalize cannabis nationwide. Our numbers grow on a daily basis.
The prohibitionist view on cannabis is the viewpoint of a minority and rapidly shrinking percentage of Americans. It is based upon decades of lies and propaganda.
Each and every tired old lie they have propagated has been thoroughly proven false by both science and society.
Their tired old rhetoric no longer holds any validity. The vast majority of Americans have seen through the sham of cannabis prohibition in this day and age. The number of prohibitionists left shrinks on a daily basis.
With their credibility shattered, and their not so hidden agendas visible to a much wiser public, what’s left for a cannabis prohibitionist to do?
Maybe, just come to terms with the fact that Cannabis Legalization Nationwide is an inevitable reality that’s approaching much sooner than prohibitionists think, and there is nothing they can do to stop it!
Legalize Nationwide!…and Support All Cannabis Legalization Efforts!
Brian Kelly
“Cannabis is 114 times safer than drinking alcohol”
“Cannabis may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say”
“Cannabis may be even safer than previously thought, researchers say New study: We should stop fighting Cannabis legalization and focus on alcohol and tobacco instead By Christopher Ingraham February 23
Compared with other recreational drugs — including alcohol — Cannabis may be even safer than previously thought. And researchers may be systematically underestimating risks associated with alcohol use.
Those are the top-line findings of recent research published in the journal Scientific Reports, a subsidiary of Nature. Researchers sought to quantify the risk of death associated with the use of a variety of commonly used substances. They found that at the level of individual use, alcohol was the deadliest substance, followed by heroin and cocaine.”
-Washingtonpost
“The report discovered that Cannabis is 114 times less deadly than alcohol. Researchers were able to determine this by comparing the lethal doses with the amount of typical use. Through this approach, Cannabis had the lowest mortality risk to users out of all the drugs they studied. In fact—because the numbers were crossed with typical daily use—Cannabis is the only drug that tested as “low risk.”
-Complex