A 2020 Gallup poll found that nearly 70% of Americans believe cannabis should be legal - via TheGrowthOp cannabis news legalization
In addition to criminal sanctions, those convicted of cannabis crimes potentially face losing professional licences, increased barriers to employment, deportation and loss of educational financial aid, as well as are barred from adopting, voting, receiving food stamps and performing jury service,This is in addition to the negative mental health outcomes, disconnection from family and loss of autonomy that may accompany a cannabis arrest.
In some states, like Alabama, individuals can be jailed for up to one year on a first offence for possessing a small amount of personal use cannabis. A repeat offence carries a mandatory minimum of one year and one day in jail, the report notes. Despite the record levels of support for legalization, the report finds the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration arrested 2,597 individuals for cannabis offences in 2019., it is past time for Congress and the President to follow its advice to remove federal penalties for personal possession of cannabis,” notes the report. “The federal government should not be threatening its citizens with incarceration for using a substance that is safer than alcohol,” it argues.