Summer is Winding Down, But the Fight for Legalization is Heating Up

Summer may be slowly winding down, but the fight for legalization is heating up. The next few months are going to be some of the most pivotal we have ever seen for our movement to end prohibition. If we are going to succeed, however, we really are going to need your help.

While there are only a few months left in the year, there remains a real serious chance for pushing some real, substantial cannabis reform legislation through at the federal level. There is growing consensus that Congress should pass marijuana legislation before 2022 ends, and we need to keep the pressure on to ensure they follow through. Two new bills were recently introduced, one expanding marijuana research and one to expunge federal marijuana records. We are also working hard with our allies in Congress to introduce new legislation that combines access to banks and financial institutions with other important justice-related provisions. Hearing from NORML staff is paying dividends, but we need to make sure they also hear from you, their constituents. You can easily contact them using our TAKE ACTION tool.

As we approach, the fall election season is getting into full swing. Earlier this summer, both Maryland and South Dakota were confirmed to be voting on legalization in November, and just this week, we got even more good news…Missouri was officially confirmed to be joining them! On Tuesday, the Missouri Secretary of State gave final approval to the Legal Missouri 2022 ballot measure bringing us to a total of three confirmed states with legalization votes. We stand to add several others to that list as North Dakota and Oklahoma currently have turned in their qualifying signatures and are waiting to hear they were validated and approved. Activists in Arkansas submitted enough qualifying signatures to get on the ballot but had the title of their measure challenged. The campaign is now mounting a court challenge to overcome that obstacle and, if successful, Arkansasans will also get the chance to vote to end their prohibition on marijuana.

CAN YOU HELP US HAVE THE FUNDS NEEDED TO FIGHT FOR VICTORY?

With six states potentially voting on adult-use legalization, NORML will have to redouble our efforts to inform, educate, and register voters about the initiatives and all the benefits legalization will bring to their states. If we end up victorious, this would be a massive tectonic shift in our nation’s cannabis politics. Not only would we add six new legal states to the current list of 19, but they would be some of the more conservative states in the country. This would shatter the myth overnight that this is some sort of regional novelty and prove it is an issue supported by most Americans, no matter where they live.

To do that, we are going to need the funds necessary to succeed. I know you hear from us (and likely many other political groups) a lot, and we often ask you to support our work. Your donation is even more important at this juncture to NORML because we rely almost exclusively on small, grassroots donations like yours to keep pushing forward. If you have the ability to do so, your contribution will ensure we can keep the pressure on all the way until Election Day.

We have a lot more exciting news to share in the coming weeks, including the launch of our Smoke the Vote Scorecard, which details the marijuana stances held by lawmakers at the state and federal levels, and more election-related actions This is an incredibly exciting time to be a legalization supporter, and we are so glad to have you with us at this historical juncture. We have accomplished so much together, and together we WILL legalize marijuana nationwide.

Onward,

Erik Altieri