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Drug Policy

Our nation’s misguided and costly "War on Drugs" has undermined civil liberties in many ways — eroding protections against unlawful searches and seizures, imposing overly harsh sentences on individuals, disproportionately impacting communities of color. The ACLU of Washington Drug Policy Project works for policies that treat drug use as a public health concern, not a criminal justice matter, through public education, legislative advocacy, and litigation.

Campaign to Legalize Marijuana Turns in 350,000 Signatures

New Approach Washington’s campaign to legalize, regulate, and tax marijuana in Washington state took a major step forward, turning in more than 350,000 petition signatures for I-502 to state officials in Olympia. If not adopted by the state legislature, the measure goes before voters next November.   Read More »
 

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War on Drugs = War on Communities of Color

Watch the recent public forum on mass incarceration, drug policy reform, and civil rights in Washington state, courtesy of the Seattle Channel. The ACLU, the NAACP, and Law Enforcement Against Prohibition cosponsored the event. Read More »
 
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Former FBI chief in Seattle endorses marijuana legalization initiative

In announcing his support of I-502, Charles Mandigo said, “We have gone beyond the point where the resources are available or there is a justifiable cost-benefit to society. There must be an end to sacred cows.” Read More »
 

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Innovative LEAD Project Sends Drug Offenders to Services Instead of Jail

October 13, 2011
A unique coalition of government officials, law enforcement agencies, and community groups – including the ACLU-WA – are backing the  innovative new LEAD program. Instead of arresting and prosecuting low-level drug offenders, law enforcement will divert them to community-based treatment and support services – a welcome alternative to the War on Drugs approach.  Read More »
 

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A Guide to Washington’s Medical Use of Cannabis Act for Health Care Professionals – Brochure

The information here provides a general explanation of the Medical Marijuana Act. For legal advice on how the act may apply to you personally, you should speak with an attorney familiar with this law. Read More »
 
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More Common Sense Instead of the War on Drugs

Mark Cooke, ACLU-WA Drug Policy Advocate
Friday, July 22nd, 2011 at 9:55 am
Congratulations to our drug reform allies in New York for passing the nation’s fourth 911 Good Samaritan Law. The law aims to save lives by encouraging people to call for emergency services when they witness overdoses. New York becomes the largest state to enact such a much-needed measure. Read More »
 
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State Supreme Court Rules Medical Marijuana Law Does Not Protect Employees from Being Fired

June 9, 2011
The Washington Supreme Court ruled against an authorized patient who was fired for using medical marijuana, even though there was no evidence that its use interfered with her job performance. In a disappointing 8-1 opinion, the Court found that the Washington Medical Use of Marijuana Act does not protect employees who are discharged for exercising their right to use marijuana for medicinal purposes. Read More »
 
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Federal v. State Marijuana Law Conflict – More Contentious Than Ever

Mark Cooke, ACLU-WA Drug Policy Advocate
Friday, July 8th, 2011 at 8:38 am
As Connecticut becomes the fourteenth state in the U.S. to decriminalize adult possession of marijuana, it’s clear that many states want to take a different approach towards marijuana; despite the federal government’s continued blustering on state medical marijuana laws. Read More »
 
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Drug-Sniffing Dogs in Schools Make Every Student a Suspect

Lisa Sullivan
Monday, June 6th, 2011 at 9:38 am
Last month, a high school in southeastern Washington conducted a suspicionless drug search. Students were asked to leave their classroom so that a police officer with a “drug-detection dog” could check their backpacks for signs of drug possession. After the search, two students were singled out for a more invasive search and questioning. One had marijuana paraphernalia in his backpack; in the other, no signs of drugs or drug paraphernalia could be found. Good news for the second student—after the humiliating and anxiety-producing search was complete, he was permitted to go back to class. Read More »
 
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The 40-Year War on Drugs: It's Not Fair, and It's Not Working.

Vanita Gupta
Wednesday, June 1st, 2011 at 3:30 pm
June 2011 has the unfortunate distinction of marking the 40th anniversary of President Richard Nixon's declaration of a "war on drugs" — a war which has cost $1 trillion but produced little to no effect on the supply of or demand for drugs.The war on drugs has been a war on communities of color. The racial disparities are staggering: despite the fact that whites engage in drug offenses at a higher rate than African-Americans, African-Americans are incarcerated for drug offenses at a rate that is 10 times greater than that of whites. Read More »
 
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