Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself

 

Tom Johnson      ‎U.S. Marijuana Party of Pennsylvania

 Lancaster, PA ·

Penalties against possession of a drug should not be more damaging to an individual than the use of the drug itself; and where they are, they should be changed. Nowhere is this more clear than in the laws against possession of marijuana in private for personal use. We can, and should, continue to discourage the use of marijuana, but this can be done without defining the smoker as a criminal. States which have already removed criminal penalties for marijuana use, like Oregon and California, have not noted any significant increase in marijuana smoking. The National Commission on Marijuana and Drug Abuse concluded five years ago that marijuana use should be decriminalized, and I believe it is time to implement those basic recommendations. ~ President Jimmy Carter Aug 2, 1977

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