[MATCHING GIFT] 🌿 It’s 4/20 and we need your support for legalization

And, I want to tell you about Keeda The following advertisement from the Drug Policy Alliance has been sent to you via Mother Jones' email list. Mother Jones is a nonprofit, and most of our budget comes from readers like you, but revenue from advertisers helps us produce more of the hard-hitting journalism you expect. We never disclose your information to an advertiser. Mother Jones does not endorse any candidate, political organization, commercial product, or service, and the views expressed in this email do not constitute any endorsement or recommendation by Mother Jones. [Drug Policy Alliance]( [Drug Policy Alliance]( [MATCH MY GIFT]( Mother Jones Reader, Keeda Haynes knows what it’s like to be criminalized by our nation’s drug war. After graduating from college, Keeda signed for some packages for her boyfriend, without knowing they contained marijuana. Soon enough, Keeda was prosecuted and incarcerated for a crime she didn’t know she was committing. And this former Girl Scout and star student found herself struggling against prosecutors and judges who were more focused on punishment than justice. On 4/20, many people now have the freedom to celebrate the growing legalization of marijuana in states across the nation. But we cannot forget the people who still lack that freedom. Who continue to be harmed by prohibition and criminalization. Those who are yearning for reasons to celebrate. Those who are still incarcerated. [Today, we’re asking you to dedicate 4/20 to them—because when you make a special gift to the Drug Policy Alliance today, your support will be matched up to $42,000 to fight for decriminalization and long overdue repair.]( [Drug Policy Alliance]( [MATCH MY GIFT]( During her incarceration, Keeda decided to pursue justice. As a federal inmate, she studied for the LSAT while successfully petitioning the United States Supreme Court to reduce an extreme sentence handed down by a zealous judge. Once she was freed, Keeda fought to reclaim her right to vote and stood before a panel to “prove her character” to practice law as a public defender. But there are so many more people still incarcerated on federal marijuana-related charges. Despite marijuana being legal in many states, it is still one of the most commonly arrested offenses. And Black Americans are arrested 3.5 times more than white people for possessing marijuana, despite similar rates of use. In 2021, over 80% of people sentenced for federal marijuana charges were Black and Latinx. “I am calling on all of us to reimagine the legal system; to envision a world that meets people’s struggles with care, not cages—resulting in a ‘justice system’ worthy of the name.” – Keeda Haynes Today, Keeda is a fierce advocate for criminal justice reform. And she knows that legalizing marijuana is the only way forward—because she has experienced the injustice of prohibition firsthand. [We’re counting on your support to fund crucial work, like decriminalizing marijuana at the federal level, and advocating for resentencing and expungement of marijuana convictions.]( Thank you, Kassandra Frederique Executive Director Drug Policy Alliance P.S. I hope we can count on your support to keep up this fight together on this important day—in solidarity with Keeda and everyone who has paid the price for our nation’s unjust and inequitable drug laws. [Today, on 4/20, make a donation to Drug Policy Alliance before midnight, while it will be MATCHED for double the impact!]( [MATCH MY GIFT]( [Mother Jones]( Mother Jones and its nonprofit publisher, the Foundation for National Progress, do not endorse any political candidate, political organization, commercial product, process, or service, and the views expressed in this communication do not constitute an endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by Mother Jones. This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755