6 Easy Ways to Be a Cannabis Activist
6 Easy Ways to Be a Cannabis Activist
Whether you’re a new cannabis convert or a longtime enthusiast, now is the time to get involved in cannabis activism. There hasn’t been a time in recent history that was more receptive to cannabis legalization than now. Even if you’re not ready to organize a march in your hometown, there are plenty of easy ways to get involved in moving the bar towards universal legalization. Your voice and efforts DO matter, and they can make a difference!
- Educate Yourself: A major roadblock to legalization is constant misinformation and tired stereotypes. Educating yourself on all facets of cannabis from how it’s grown to its medical uses gives you the tools required to combat these. Learn about the endocannabinoid system, how cannabis works with the body and which health conditions most benefit from it. Learn about whole plant medicine, extraction processes, the entourage effect and about strains and phenotypes. Finally, educate yourself on your city and state’s laws and regulations as well as which states have legal cannabis and which don’t.
It’s also important to note that even if someone prefers not to use cannabis, continued criminalization of cannabis is a huge problem. It diverts resources from law enforcement that could be allocated towards prevention or curbing violent crime. It feeds the black market and drug cartels. It makes it impossible to regulate for purity.
The more informed you are about the entirety of cannabis, the more credibility you’ll have as an activist.
- Become an Ambassador: While educating yourself is critical, so is sharing what you know. You don’t need to engage every person you meet with a litany of cannabis benefits but when the topic comes up, share the positive information you know and correct any misconceptions. Personal stories are extremely powerful. If cannabis has changed your life or the life of someone you love for the better, let people know! This makes cannabis legalization personal instead of an abstract concept.
- Call and Write Legislators: Our political representatives are supposed to represent the will of the people, but they only do that for the people they hear from. You may think that one email or phone call won’t make much difference, but you’d be wrong. Every contact made with an elected official is logged and assigned a value much more than a single opinion. Reports are provided to your officials before votes showing where constituents (who have contacted them) stand on the issue.
It’s fast and easy to be an activist in some cases. All our representatives have contact information online. You don’t need to craft a novel or prepare for a debate, simply call or email, state your opinion (pro or con) and that’s it! You’ve done a great civic duty.
- Attend Events: There are many types of pro-cannabis events you can participate in from local government meetings to organized marches. If someone is holding an event in your area, try to attend. It’s important to show public support for cannabis legalization when you can!
- Donate: Unfortunately, money oils the wheels of justice. There are a lot of great local and national groups that could use financial support to keep their efforts going. Check out organizations like NORML, Marijuana Policy Project, Women Grow and Veteran’s Cannabis Group for worthwhile causes or find out who’s doing the work in your area!
- Vote: This should be obvious! You need to vote in every election. Yes, even midterms. If there are cannabis initiatives on the ballot, educate yourself about them, then educate your friends, then vote. If there are no cannabis issues at hand, instead educate yourself on the candidates. What is their stance on cannabis legalization? Make this an important consideration when choosing representatives!