**** For Immediate Release ****
The Libertarian Party of Alabama (LPA) is excited to announce that it has joined a coalition with Alabama Republicans Against Marijuana Prohibition (ARAMP). This alliance is the start of an effort to bring together a diverse group of individuals and organizations with the common goal of advancing cannabis-friendly legislation in Alabama. By uniting citizens of all parties and all backgrounds, we show that cannabis legalization is a non-partisan issue and is in the best interest of the public good.
H Marty Schelper, President of Alabama RAMP, came to the 23 November LPA Executive Committee meeting to give updates on a state bill currently in committee in favor of medical marijuana, and a federal bill, HR 3884, the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement Act (MORE Act), which would remove marijuana as a Schedule I drug nationally. Both bills are encouraging signs that the state and federal government are beginning to consider alternatives to the failed War on Drugs.
“The time is now for the citizens of Alabama and our veterans who are committing suicide at a rate of 22 veterans a day to have access to medicinal cannabis. Our citizens should not have to even consider relocating to another state to have access to the medicine that they need,” Schelper said. “If you are interested in ending 82 years of denying you the freedom and liberty to access a plant, we welcome you to join us. We are living in exciting times, but our generation needs to pick up this mantle and work together to end the injustice. ARAMP is very excited to be working with the LPA on this coalition.”
John Page, Chair Pro Tem of the LPA Wiregrass affiliate, said he was “very pleased to have a nonpartisan coalition in this epic fight for an individual’s right to practice a safe alternative to the deadly opioid crisis that is affecting so many Alabamians. Together we can make a difference in the lives of Veterans with PTSD and cancer patients alike.”
“I’m very excited that our Executive Committee voted to join with ARAMP,” said LPA Chair Laura Lane. “This issue is extremely important to Alabamians; people’s lives could be saved and quality of life improved by this plant. It’s high time that the elected officials started paying attention to what the people that elected them want.”
Other organizations that have expressed interest in joining the coalition are the Alabama chapter of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), and the Southern Poverty Law Center, as well as a host of individuals with years of cannabis activism and lobbying experience. If you would like to know more about this coalition, please send an e-mail to John Page at Johncp6@outlook.com or H Marty Schelper at alabamaramp@gmail.com.
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