Issue 2: Vote Your Voice on Cannabis
Down ballot measures for criminal justice reform make all the difference, plus a back-to-school video and moving message from Melissa Etheridge on cannabis & grief.
We’re now months into the pandemic, with less than 30 days remaining before a historic US election. While selecting the next US president remains a top priority, down ballot measures will have the greatest impact on cannabis reform.
I recently began an exciting collaboration with Healthline on a series about cannabis. My most recent piece highlights 5 ways to be a cannabis advocate and emphasizes the importance of using your right to vote to elect pro-cannabis officials at the local, state and federal level.
However, another way to support the overarching movement to end the drug war is voting in favor of criminal justice reforms that minimize the penalties inflicted on people arrested for cannabis-focused crimes. This election, those measures most notably include ending cash bail and relieving restrictions on convicts’ voting rights.
I’ll share my Healthline pieces here when they run, as well as my forthcoming Inside the Jar essay about the intersection of cannabis, psychedelics and spirituality.
For now, scroll down to access NORML’s cannabis-centered guide to the upcoming election and some of the most striking cannabis stories I’ve discovered lately. One illustrates how cannabis reform is a racial justice issue. The other provides a touching look at how musician Melissa Etheridge embraces heroic doses of cannabis and music and pathways for emotional healing and processing grief, especially in the wake of her son’s recent death.
Since knowledge is power and school’s back in session, I’ve also included TED Ed’s informative animation about the long-term effects of cannabis use. I like that the video takes such a realistic approach to explaining both the potential benefits and potential drawbacks of cannabis. I shared it with my twelve-year-old on 4/20 this year and encourage more parents and teachers to provide tweens and teens with realistic messages that encourage critical thinking and informed decision making when it comes to navigating cannabis culture.
Until next time—stay home and stay safe. If you liked this, pass it on.
Pictured above: The photo I posted when announcing my attendance at the 2017 Women’s March. When I took the bus from Atlanta, Ga., to Washington, DC, legalizing cannabis was at the forefront of my mind. To read more about my march experience, click the link right here.
Weed + Read This Week:
Help decriminalize drug possession: Renee Cherez, Anti-Racism Daily
Melissa Etheridge Speaks True: Stephen Laddin, High Times
TED Ed, Is Marijuana Bad for Your Brain?
And then click here to for NORML’s guide to the upcoming election!
Content of The Seed is free, but tips via Venmo or PayPal are always welcome and needed. Curious about the other projects I’m developing outside the world of cannabis? Head over to The Grey Way and sign up to stay in touch. Moved by Melissa Etheridge’s thoughts and want more music in your life? I may be able to connect you with an instrument. Take a listen to this video by Kelly Richey, and message me at kellilynngrey@gmail.com if you’re interested.