Take Action

Contact your local Representative

Reach out to your local Representative and let them know your concerns.

WHAT CAN YOU DO AS AN ADVOCATE IN YOUR TOWN?

1. Reach out to your City Council -- Individually

Ask for a meeting (they don’t have to say yes)

Be nice!

Remember- they need new revenue sources

Leave him/her with up-to- date public health data to show the costs

2. Reach out to former City Council Members who you know are anti – drug

3. Go to City Council Meetings in-person or on Zoom

Most impactful in this order:

Speak at meeting (preferably with other residents)

Speak on Zoom

Send email/written comment

4. Watch recorded City Council meetings/District Meetings on YouTube when cannabis was discussed

Listen to public comments

5. Get referrals from national organizations to other advocates in other cities

6. Connect with local advocates 

Hang in until support comes in

Put information on a local website

New people -- can work together

Follow strategic guidance of those most experienced

Get referrals? Call!

7. Ask prevention educators to present to City Councils

New products, new public health data

When cannabis is NOT on the agenda. Otherwise, it's too much information at once

WHY DELAY, DELAY, DELAY WORKS FOR COMMUNITIES

New studies and articles come out regularly about what a community should know.

Most of California and Colorado have opted out of legal sales. Data shows this protects kids.

Legalization is an experiment. Based on the current results, there’s enough data to say it’s better for a community to wait until there are improvements in the results before we allow access in our own community.

Wait for Guardrails to Help Protect Youth:

Comprehensive warning labels

Billboards are regulated like tobacco

No child-friendly products that look like something kids will eat

Marijuana impaired driving education and roadside testing

Regulate THC potency

Bring back "No Public Smoking" (when the public learn 2nd & 3rd hand marijuana smoke is toxic, like tobacco, everyone will be safer).