Drug Policy Action

General advocacy: Drug Policy Action works to end the war on drugs. We seek to dismantle the system of mass criminalization that undergirds the Drug war and build an alternative approach to drugs grounded in science, compassion, health, equity, and human rights. We advocate for law and Policy change at the local, state, and federal levels, including through legislative and ballot measure advocacy.drug Policy Action's goals are threefold. First, we seek to eliminate criminal penalties for Drug possession and expand services for people struggling with substance use. Second, we seek to remove punitive responses to Drug use in civil systems. And third, we seek to replace marijuana prohibition with a system of sensible regulations that advance racial equity and social justice and repair the harms of criminalization.

Lobbying activities:in connection with its principle purpose of promoting social welfare through influencing Policy and legislation, Drug Policy Action lobbies federal, state, and local legislative leaders in an attempt to persuade them to sponsor, promote, and/or support policies and legislation that improve laws related to drugs.

Drug Policy Action advanced the following ballot initiatives and legislative campaigns:1) Oklahoma - question 8202) san marcos, tx - proposition a3) denton, tx - proposition b4) killeen, tx - proposition a5) harker heights, tx - proposition a6) elgin, tx - proposition a1) Oklahoma - question 820 to legalize marijuana Drug Policy Action supported the Oklahoma ballot campaign for state question 820, to legalize marijuana and provide significant expungement provisions for people convicted of marijuana offenses. The initiative included the most far-reaching criminal justice provisions of any marijuana legalization initiative to date, retroactively re-sentencing and releasing people, and reducing probation and parole violations. The campaign was unsuccessful. 2-6) various Texas municipalities decriminalizing marijuana possessionin partnership with ground game Texas, Drug Policy Action supported ballot campaigns for marijuana possession decriminalization in five Texas jurisdictions:- san marcos, tx (proposition a)- denton, tx (proposition b)- killeen, tx (proposition a)- harker heights, tx (proposition a)- elgin, tx (proposition a)all five were successfully passed by voters in november 2022.