Sign this petition and join Legalize Appalachia in demanding equitable cannabis legalization and decriminalization in Appalachia and the Prohibition South. 

PROHIBITION HURTS OUR COMMUNITIES IN BIG WAYS
47 million - Southerners living under the weight of cannabis prohibition in the Central and Southern Appalachian states of AL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN and WV.  [SOURCE]

669k - People arrested for cannabis possession and sales from 2015-2020 in the Appalachian states of AL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN, VA and WV. [SOURCE]

3.64x - Average rate that Black people in the US are more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than white people, despite comparable usage rates. In Kentucky and West Virginia, that number is 9.36 and 7.31 respectively, placing two of the top five worst states for racial disparities among marijuana arrests firmly in Appalachia. [SOURCE]

$2,000-$20,000 - Average cost to defend a cannabis arrest. This is just attorney fees needed to get a pre-trial deal and doesn’t include trial costs, court fines, travel expenses, loss of work, childcare, mental health / therapy, or future fiscal, housing and employment impacts. [SOURCE]

What does equitable legalization look like? Here's our demands for new legislation: 

1. Support for those who have been most harmed by prohibition, especially Black, Indigenous, Latinx, low-income folks and those who have been to jail or worked in the legacy industry. Equity must be integrated into all regulations and include priority licensing, financial capital, entrepreneurship training, fee waivers, and ongoing (not one-time!) support in all of these areas for marginalized groups.

2. Swift and automatic expungement of cannabis charges and resentencing and release of incarcerated people.

3. Home cultivation is a must! This ensures those without the ability to pay dispensary prices are able to grow their own medicine at a fraction of the dispensary costs.

4. No new crimes.

5. Protect small businesses with tools that put local needs first to minimize impacts of corporate cannabis and multi-state operators (MSO’s) on local economic growth.

6. Tax revenue supports social equity and community benefit needs, not policing (a.k.a. public safety in governmental budgets)!

7. Reasonable and affordable  licensing fees, preferably sliding-scale. Low and no-cost licensing options for social equity applicants and low-income folks.

8. Open to and accessible for all! No exclusions or discrimination based on criminal record

9. Reasonable taxation! This helps keep cannabis accessible to the people who need it and supports small businesses.