DON'T JUST SMOKE A JOINT -- TAKE ACTION

April 20 4/20 has long been associated with marijuana, both marijuana
use and marijuana activism.

Thousands of Americans will gather on that day at rallies in Boston,
Boulder, New York, Santa Cruz, Seattle and other cities.

For people who prefer to relax with a joint instead of a beer or
martini, it's a time to celebrate.

For those who don't use marijuana, it's a time to stand up in support
of their friends, family and fellow citizens who face arrest for
nothing more than what they put into their bodies.

For the Drug Policy Alliance and the drug policy reform movement,
4/20 represents something even bigger.

The movement to end marijuana prohibition is very broad, composed of
people who love marijuana, people who hate marijuana, and people who
don't have strong feelings about marijuana use one way or the other.
We all agree on one thing though - marijuana prohibition is doing
more harm than good. It's wasting taxpayer dollars and police
resources, filling our jails and prisons with hundreds of thousands
of nonviolent people, and increasing crime and violence in the same
way Alcohol Prohibition did. Police made more than 750,000 arrests
for marijuana possession in 2008 alone.

Those arrested were separated from their loved ones, branded
criminals, denied jobs and in many cases prohibited from accessing
student loans, public housing and other public assistance.

Fortunately, the tide is quickly turning against the war on
marijuana. Legislators in California, Massachusetts, New Hampshire,
Rhode Island, South Dakota and Virginia are considering legislation
to decriminalize or legalize marijuana.

The venerable Economist magazine noted that "marijuana could follow
the path that alcohol took in the 1930s" out of prohibition into a
regulated market. Celebrities are speaking out. The musician and
activist Sting, for instance, recently urged people to oppose the
entire war on drugs.

In November, California will vote on whether to legalize, tax and
regulate marijuana like alcohol; the measure is ahead in the polls.
Local California papers like the Orange County Register and the Long
Beach Press-Telegram have editorialized in favor of the initiative,
seven months before the vote. Nationally, support for making
marijuana legal is about 44%, with support increasing about 2% a
year. A recent Gallup poll predicts a majority of Americans will
favor marijuana legalization within just four years if current trends hold.

The war on marijuana won't end, however, if everyone who supports
reform stays silent.

Maybe you smoke marijuana and are tired of being considered a criminal.

Maybe you work in law enforcement and are tired of ruining people's
lives by arresting them. Maybe you're a teacher or public health
advocate tired of politicians cutting money for education and health
to pay for the construction of new jails and prisons. Maybe you're a
civil rights activist appalled by racial disparities in marijuana law
enforcement. Or may you just don't want your tax dollars wasted on
ineffective policies.

Regardless of your motivation, April 20 4/20 is a good opportunity
for you to make a pledge to end marijuana prohibition. The Drug
Policy Alliance is asking people to use 4/20 as the time to commit to
doing something in 2010 to end the war on people who use marijuana.
There are many ways to help end marijuana prohibition. Donate to a
drug policy reform organization. Support the 2010 California ballot
measure. Tell your elected representatives to end marijuana
prohibition. Talk to your friends and family about why people who use
marijuana shouldn't be arrested.

Tweet this open. Change your Facebook status to announce your support
for ending the war on marijuana. Stand up today with other Americans
and get the word out there. This war will end; how soon depends, in
part, on you.