Thirty-one states have stopped jailing their citizens for simple possession of cannabis. Nineteen have legalized cannabis for adults, while 12 impose a modest fine. What are we waiting for? Even organizations that vocally oppose cannabis legalization agree it’s wrong to arrest and criminalize individuals for cannabis. Yet, our marijuana laws cause police and prosecutors to spend valuable time on nonviolent offenders, while most rapes, robberies, and homicides go unsolved. Do you agree it’s time to replace criminal penalties for simple possession with a modest civil fine?

I write to encourage you to support reducing the penalty for cannabis possession to a civil fine. Many states, most of them as long ago as the 1970s, have changed their laws to recognize that cannabis possession is not as serious an offense as violent or property crimes. Currently, 31 states have decriminalized cannabis by imposing a fine rather than jail time for cannabis possession. Our state is lagging behind. By passing a sensible decriminalization law, our state would free up law enforcement resources to focus on more serious crimes and avoid branding people with a criminal record, which can have life-altering collateral consequences. It is time for our state to reform its outdated cannabis laws that do nothing to make the state safer.

I am writing to encourage you to stop criminalizing cannabis consumers in our state. Jail time and imposing life-destroying criminal records are the wrong approach to possession of a modest amount of cannabis. I hope you agree. Punishing an individual with a criminal record for a non-violent offense, such as the possession of cannabis, is heavy-handed. A criminal conviction, even if the conviction is a misdemeanor and no jail time is served, can lead to a lifetime of harsh collateral consequences. A conviction can result in the denial of student financial aid, housing, employment, and professional licenses. Our current cannabis laws are not being enforced fairly. According to the government data complied by the ACLU, Black Americans are over 3.5 times as likely to be arrested for possession as white individuals, despite very similar usage rates. These disproportionate arrest rates are found in every state. It is time for a more even-handed and just approach to cannabis possession. Thirty-one states have decriminalized simple possession. Our state should do the same.