Title:
Sentencing reform in Oklahoma
Message:
You know an end to our country’s wasteful and counterproductive war on marijuana is nearing an end when even Oklahoma starts rolling back penalties, albeit rather modestly. Still, it’s a good sign that earlier this month Gov. Mary Fallin signed House Bill 3052, a new law designed to lower the state’s prison population, one of the highest per capita in the nation.
In addition to replacing incarceration with treatment for certain offenders, the bill makes a change to Oklahoma’s marijuana possession laws. Specifically, it cuts the minimum incarceration term in half, from two years to one, for second and subsequent marijuana possession convictions within 10 years. That’s still draconian by any measure, but unarguably less so.
The passage of the bill presents reformers with an opportunity to build on our momentum. Help us do that by asking your elected officials to go a step further and join neighboring Colorado and nearby Nebraska by removing the possibility of jail time for possessing small amounts of marijuana. You can also ask them to remove penalties altogether for patients whose doctors recommend marijuana.
Thanks for all you do!
