by Samantha Goldstein — College of Wisconsin at Madison, Class of 2023
There are two fundamental the explanation why I’m selecting to intern with NORML this spring. First, I’m a longtime proponent of marijuana legalization. Second, I’ve labored with the Wisconsin Division of Corrections and I’ve seen first-hand the harm attributable to felony marijuana prohibition.
For many years, marijuana legal guidelines have been used to criminalize tens of thousands and thousands of Individuals, disproportionately people of color and low-income individuals, waste tax {dollars}, and gasoline mass incarceration.
Legalization gives options to many of those points, little doubt, however it’s also crucial that we make the most of science and evidence to information these insurance policies. Contemplating that is inherent to NORML’s mission, I used to be enraptured with the group.
As a hashish shopper, marijuana has modified my life for the higher. I’ve used it each for psychological and bodily well being functions, in addition to for continual ache administration. I’m fortunate sufficient to be from a state (California) the place regulated hashish merchandise are available, and will be delivered to your entrance door at a good value. In my view, it’s exhausting to seek out remedy that has been more practical for me than hashish.
Once I was an intern with the Division of Corrections in Wisconsin, I used to be uncovered to the extent to which hashish customers are stigmatized amongst these within the felony justice system: by correctional officers, law enforcement officials, supervisors, probation brokers, judges, healthcare suppliers, and everybody in between. At first, their attitudes made me really feel uncomfortable, however then it impressed me to need to play a bigger function within the battle to legalize hashish and to change the narrative surrounding the plant and those that eat it. NORML has lengthy performed a necessary function in hashish legislation reform, and there may be nothing that I need to do greater than be a part of a corporation that helps initiatives that advocate on behalf of freedoms for hashish customers.
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