Getting arrested for cannabis is something that can harm a person’s life, and not just at the time of arrest.
People who are arrested for cannabis can lose college financial assistance, have a hard time finding a job, and even be prevented from volunteering. That’s in addition to potential incarceration and/or fines.
Younger people are often times particularly at risk of being arrested for cannabis.
In 2016-2017, People 16-34 years old made up more than 80% of all cannabis arrests in New York City.
Cannabis prohibition is harmful to young adults, and fortunately, there are things that they can do about it.
Get educated on cannabis policy
An effective cannabis advocate is an educated cannabis advocate.
Millennials should become familiar with the various aspects of cannabis policy, which include but are not limited to:
- Why cannabis became illegal in the first place
- Legal status of cannabis around the globe
- Cannabis arrest statistics, including disparities in enforcement rates
- Medical benefits of the cannabis plant
- Cannabis industry employment and tax revenue data
By becoming more knowledgeable about cannabis prohibition’s history and the benefits of reform, cannabis advocates will become much more effective in their efforts.
Millennials can have all of the passion in the world for cannabis reform, but if they are spreading misinformation about the cannabis plant, they will inevitably turn people off about the idea of cannabis reform.
Share credible cannabis information
Sharing information about cannabis reform is one of the easiest and quickest ways to help legalize cannabis.
When people think that they don’t know anyone that is harmed by cannabis prohibition and/or that supports legalization, they are less likely to think that cannabis reform is an important issue.
Cannabis advocates that share their pro-cannabis views and experiences with their friends and families put a face to cannabis prohibition.
It is particularly important for millennials to discuss cannabis reform with older demographics.
Virtually every cannabis poll that has ever been conducted finds that the older the demographic, the less likely the poll participant is to support cannabis reform.
For example, you can share any one of Green Flower’s online courses about cannabis absolutely free.
Register to vote
Millennials, as defined by the Pew Research Center (18-34 years old as of 2015), are officially the largest living generation in the United States.
That means that if millennials were registered to vote and voted regularly, they would be the largest voting bloc in the U.S.
This is extremely significant from a cannabis reform standpoint considering that the only ways to change cannabis laws in the U.S. are via direct votes on initiatives or elected officials passing reform measures.
Registering to vote is easy to do, and one of the first things that millennials should do in order to support cannabis reform.
Get active with a campaign or cannabis reform organization
Getting active with a cannabis campaign and/or reform organization is another way that millennials can support cannabis reform,
Politics is largely a game of organizing and raising awareness.
Millennials often possess a communication skill set that is very desirable to campaigns and/or reform organizations.
Since millennials tend to be very knowledgeable about social media and internet communication platforms, they are ideal candidates for internships and volunteer roles.
Students for Sensible Drug Policy is an amazing organization that the Green Flower team recommends younger people look into. If there is not a chapter on your campus, start one!
Other worthwhile organizations include:
