Now that marijuana is legal for recreational use in Washington D.C. as well as in four U.S. states (Colorado, Oregon, Alaska and Washington), we have to set our sights higher and higher. Here are 5 more steps to righting the wrongs of cannabis prohibition:
1. Federal Legalization of Marijuana
How very Congress-like of us — all of our politicians can get high and grow weed in the capital, yet people around the nation are serving life sentences in prison for the same actions.
2. Pardons For Pot Prisoners
Billions of taxpayer dollars are being wasted on racially-motived low-level marijuana arrests and incarcerations. Free the prisoners and use the money for something better.
3. Unbiased Medical Research of Cannabis
We have only scratched the surface of what can be done medicinally with cannabis. With access to funds comparable to what the pharmaceutical companies are working with, we could make some real progress. But they wouldn’t like that, now would they?
4. National Public Information Campaign
There’s a lot of misinformation about the use, effect and culture surrounding both medical and recreational marijuana, which makes our nation ripe for a public information campaign to combat all of the myths and get straight down to the facts and best practices.
AND PLUS for good measure …
5. An Airline Boarding Group For Stoned Passengers
(*Ideally after active military personnel but before parents with young children and the elderly)
“If you’re going to make that goofy-ass face when I ask you for your ticket and take forever getting settled into your seat because you’re trying to strategically find a way to sit without crunching that packet of Funyuns in your track jacket hip pocket, please just board the plane now.”