Headcount, a non-partisan organization that strives to get people registered to vote through music, has announced a new effort to legalize cannabis on a federal level and clear the records of thousands of people who have been convicted of cannabis-related crimes.
On November 9, Headcount and the U.S. Cannabis Council launched a nationwide education project called Cannabis in Common to mobilize cannabis-friendly citizens to start contacting their political representatives. In one YouTube video related to the announcement, Sarah Silverman narrates the current state of cannabis in the United States, inspiring people to rise up and take action.
“There’s at least one thing most Americans have in common: More than two-thirds of us agree cannabis should be legalized. And we have a real shot at getting federal legalization done now if we speak up,” Silverman says in the video. “If we don’t make a change soon, settling for laws that disproportionately land people of color in prison. We’re leaving hundreds of thousands of jobs on the table and giving up tax revenue that can go toward education and other community investments.”
Seth Rogen also appears in another Headcount video promoting the efforts of Cannabis in Common to make these issues a national topic. “Despite what you may have heard, Americans can actually agree on something. And that something is weed,” he said. “…You know who cannot agree on anything though? Politicians. So despite the fact that 69 percent of us want cannabis legal, less than half of Senators have come out in favor. In fact, some won’t even say where they stand on the issue at all.”
Rogen proposes that people hit up their representatives via email or phone to get their attention. “Legalizing cannabis for good is long past due, but if we make enough noise, we can make it happen.”
Cannabis in Common makes reaching out to House and Senate Representatives a breeze. By visiting its website, individuals can send a quick email with the click of a button or instantly locate the phone number of the desired representative to open up a discussion about federal legalization. See where each of state representative stands on the issue here.
The organization presents a wealth of facts on its website to rally voters to make their voice heard. “36 states and D.C. have legalized cannabis in some form, but it’s still totally illegal at the federal level. So what does that mean, exactly? It means thousands of people are still in federal prison for cannabis-related crimes. It means veterans can’t access medical cannabis through the VA system. It means state-legal cannabis businesses are criminal enterprises under federal law. It means Congress is not listening to the American people.”
Cannabis in Common also notes that while the current Congress is “the most cannabis-friendly in history,” it’s not enough to get the support necessary to make federal legalization a reality—which is why the organization is enlisting the help of the people to push things forward. “Our core objective is to get cannabis supporters to engage in the democratic process by contacting their senators and sparking a healthy dialogue around this topic. The polling on cannabis is clear, but polls do not create change. People do.”
The bill that is referred to in Cannabis in Common’s push for legalization is the Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act, which was introduced by Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer, Senator Cory Booker and Senator Ron Wyden in July 2021. “The Cannabis Administration and Opportunity Act aims to end the decades of harm inflicted on communities of color by removing cannabis from the federal list of controlled substances and empowering states to implement their own cannabis laws,” they wrote in a 30-page discussion of their bill.
Join the cause today by visiting the Cannabis in Common website and making your support of legalization heard by your elected officials.
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