Drug Policy
The epidemic of overdose deaths has been on a rising trajectory for quite some time. Our first step in reducing this trend is to throttle back on, and one day eliminate, the practice of prosecution and imprisonment for non-violent drug crimes. By treating addiction as a health concern rather than a criminal matter, we can address the root of the problem and reduce the growing rates of recidivism and crime.
- Fully decriminalize recreational cannabis with a legal age of 18 to consume or purchase. This will allow farmers to grow it as a cash crop. This will also encourage people to use the softer drug of cannabis instead of harder drugs like heroin or Fentanyl. However, the growth, sale, or distribution should not require a license or any other barriers to entry. This will make it easier for people in the black market to go legit. Potency should still be on the label of cannabis and THC products sold in retail outlets. Cannabis given or sold to friends, family, neighbors or farm-to-table should not require labeling due to personal networks of community trust.
- Promote drug education that is wholly rooted in fact, and created in combination with drug policy organizations including Drug Policy Alliance, Students for Sensible Drug Policy, and Families for Sensible Drug Policy.
- Use standing orders to allow pharmacists to sell Naloxone to as many people as possible to make it as easy as possible to survive an opioid overdose. Because some people will not seek professional medical help, this will save taxpayer money in addition to saving lives.
- Currently, the Department of Defense and others are experimenting with psychedelic assisted therapy. The results have been extremely promising. We should allow doctors to write a note allowing the legal use of psychedelics for medical or psychological treatment, especially when combined with psychotherapy. This can be used to help treat our brave men and women who served, but now suffer from PTSD, as well as saving people from opioid addiction, people with depression and anxiety, etc. This will require legal production, sale, and distribution, just like with medical cannabis.