American Medical Association (AMA) endorses drug decriminalization
AMA delegates voted in favor of the decriminalization proposal, 345-171 [on Wednesday, June 12, 2024]. The body is calling for the “elimination of criminal penalties for drug possession for personal use as part of a larger set of related public health and legal reforms designed to improve carefully selected outcomes.”
…the board did recommend adopting a policy supporting “federal and state efforts to expunge, at no cost to the individual, criminal records for drug possession for personal use upon completion of a sentence or penalty.” Ryan Englander, representing AMA’s New England delegation, said the “war on drugs is quite reminiscent of the phrase, ‘The beatings will continue until morale improves.” “We have tried for decades to criminalize our way out of a substance use crisis in this country, and it has not worked,” he said. “We need to move to something different and better – something that actually works.” He also pushed back on arguments that Oregon’s since-rescinded drug decriminalization law is evidence that the reform doesn’t work, noting that there are other case studies such as Portugal where the policy has proved effective at reducing rates of addiction and overdose by taking a public health approach to the issue.
Original Article (Marijuana Moment):
American Medical Association endorses drug decriminalization
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