I woke up today to find a Forbes piece titled, “Bernie Sanders Pledges Legal Marijuana In All 50 States On Day One As President.”

From the article:

“We will end the destructive war on drugs,” the 2020 Democratic presidential candidate said at rally in Cedar Rapids. “On my first day in office through executive order we will legalize marijuana in every state in this country.”

Reading further:

“We will move forward to expunge the records of those arrested for possession of marijuana,” he said. “And we will make certain that the legalized marijuana industry is not controlled by a handful of corporations but that those people — the African-American community, the Latino community, the Native American community — those people who have suffered the most will get help in order to make money through a legalized marijuana industry.”

Our nation is one that’s fought a number of brutal culture wars over the years, on everything from race & sexuality to drug-use and environmentalism.

One such culture war that’s had a tremendously negative effect, predominantly on the poor and people of color, is our futile, frivolous war on drugs, which includes harsh penalties for marijuana consumption and possession in a number of states.

I’m from Colorado, which legalized weed in November of 2012. Currently, I reside in San Diego, California, another state which has since woken up to the reality that there is nothing wrong with legalizing a natural substance that’s long been used for it’s medicinal as well as recreational benefits.

Let me just say this. I’m not gung-ho about drug use. I think they should be approached with moderation and caution. I do believe that any substance — including marijuana — can become a costly and life-debilitating addiction should one remain unaware of their dependency on it.

I myself have decided that it’s best for me to limit my own consumption of the drug to a bare minimum — once or twice a week, at most.

However, each individual is unique. Some people rely upon it to relieve stress and anxiety or to assist in the treatment of more serious illnesses, such as cancer.

Our journey into the world of substances such as weed should be one that we are in control of, as individuals, not the federal government. I believe that people are more than capable of intelligently working these sorts of things out on their own, provided we have a state that provides resources in the form of education, counseling, and guidance.

That can all be done easier if it’s legal in every state, so that health professionals, researchers, and other segments of society can participate fully in learning about and understanding the effects of marijuana use. There’s still a lot to be learned about the drug, but our harsh laws prevent that from going smoothly.

Bernie’s promise to move us one step forward by using executive authority to finally bring an end to this senseless prohibition of weed, as well as his commitment to helping those who have had their lives unjustly ruined by such harsh drug laws, is deeply inspiring to me.

Here are three arguments in support of Bernie Sanders’ plan:

Legalizing marijuana throughout the U.S. will radically impact the legitimately terrifying actives of the drug cartels, which are the source of a lot of the more hardcore drugs (such as cocaine and heroin). Weed is a huge money-maker for these groups, and it’s continued prohibition at the federal level in the U.S. is a large reason they can continue to profit off of it. Our domestic economy would benefit from allowing the cannabis industry to prosper throughout all 50 states. It’s an industry that is worth billions of dollars, and it will only continue to be worth more and more as time goes on. Not allowing our nation to have full-reign to cultivate this industry refuses people jobs and opportunities as well as the medicinal and recreational benefits that the drug provides. I drive rideshare in San Diego, and over the past three years, I’ve given at least a dozen rides to people who work in the cannabis industry. On this issue, the people have spoken. It’s a popular substance to spend our money on, so we should make sure that it’s the people of our nation and our economy that benefits from marijuana production. Lives will stop being ruined over such a petty “offense.” I don’t even know what words to use to describe this situation, because it’s very hard for me to understand the point-of-view that a person should be treated like a criminal for using and possessing a natural herb that humans have known about for centuries. The thought of being caught with weed and ending up in prison is terrifying to me. Even scarier is the thought that such an “offense” would impact my ability to get a good job after the fact. Nation-wide legalization will finally achieve a shift in our cultural perspective, allowing the different spheres of society (the sciences, humanities, health fields, etc) the freedom to explore the full range and impact of the drug in a way that furthers our knowledge of its potential applications and dangers.

I’ll tell you what happens when I smoke weed. Usually, I lighten up and start having funnier thoughts. These thoughts make me laugh, then I may watch something for a while. Occasionally, I practice dancing on it, because I find that it relaxes me and deprograms my self-consciousness. But I don’t rely on the drug for any of these things. It’s just a different experience that I occasionally indulge in out of curiosity and to shake things up. I can say that it’s also helped with my anxiety, which often manifests as unceasing thoughts that can be hard to bear at times.

And that’s really all it comes down to as far as my relationship to marijuana goes.

But when I was growing up, the image I was inculcated with regarding marijuana was startlingly different. It was painted as something on par with cocaine or heroin. I was taught to fear the drug and the people who use it, which no doubt feeds into racist stereotypes that many people in minority communities are trying to break free from.

It won’t entirely solve our nation’s drug problem, but I do believe it will move us in the right direction.

Let me also clarify, I do believe we have a drug addiction problem in the United States. The Opioid Crisis is one such problem we are dealing with. I am not attempting to paint drug-use in a purely positive light.

I just occupy that position that says it will be easier to deal with these problems if we first stop treating vulnerable people like criminals and start making it easier for actual health professionals — mental and otherwise — to get involved in the process.

Addiction is something that can be treated with education and resources. Throw a person in prison, however, and you dehumanize them, strip away their dignity, and ruin their lives.

It’s a no-brainer for me which direction we should move in. I hope the same is true for you.