AFA of PA ACTION ALERT

March 31, 2022

Issue

US House to Vote on Bill to Legalize Recreational Marijuana Nationwide

Details

In 2020 the US House passed a bill to legalize recreational marijuana.  That bill died in the Republican-controlled Senate.  Now, they are at it again!  Nancy Pelosi has scheduled a vote on HR 3617 the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act for tomorrow – April 1st – no fooling!   It would eliminate criminal penalties associated with the drug and establish a process to expunge previous convictions from people’s criminal records.

According to The Hill, “It would further impose a federal tax on marijuana sales to fund programs meant to help communities negatively impacted by so-called “war on drugs” policies beginning in the 1970s.”

Speaker Pelosi further says, “This landmark legislation is one of the most important criminal justice reform bills in recent history: delivering justice for those harmed by the brutal, unfair consequences of criminalization; opening the doors of opportunity for all to participate in this rapidly growing industry; and decriminalizing cannabis at the federal level so we do not repeat the grave mistakes of our past.”

Here are some facts about marijuana and why this bill is so dangerous:

  • Tetrahydrocannabinol, the psychoactive drug in marijuana, has risen from 2 percent to an average of 20 to 25 thanks to sophisticated farming and cloning techniques.
  • It suppresses the dopamine receptors in your brain and won’t wear off like beer or alcohol
  • causes a drop in your IQ if used for an extended period of time
  • The National Academy of Medicine found in 2017 that “cannabis use is likely to increase the risk of developing schizophrenia and other psychoses; the higher the use, the greater the risk” also “regular cannabis use is likely to increase the risk for developing social anxiety disorder.”
  • A 2013 paper in an Italian psychiatric journal found that cannabis use was associated with a ten-fold increase in violence.

And . . . the Democrats want to legalize this dangerous drug!

Action Steps

Contact your US Congressman and ask him or her to vote ‘nay’ on HR 3617

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