cato institute Archives

Iowa Democratic Party Makes Legalizing All Drugs an Official Party Platform

June 23, 2016June 23, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

In a surprise move, the Iowa Democratic Party at their annual convention on Sunday voted to make legalizing all drugs an official party platform, indicating that they support and will work towards it.

In total, the Iowa Democrats adopted 563 official party planks, with “legalizing all drugs” being #293. Although elected Democrats are free to ignore the party’s planks, the planks are meant to serve as a manifesto of sorts in regards to th Democrat’s values, beliefs and goals.

“I was kind of stunned that it got through the convention, but that’s what the convention wanted,” says Mike Robinson, chairman of the platform committee.

Bill to Study Drug Decriminalization Passed by Full Hawaii Legislature

April 29, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

Hawaii’s House of Representatives voted 44 to 6 yesterday to pass a bill that would study the potential decriminalization of drug possession. The measure has already been passed by the full Senate; it does not need approval from the governor to take effect, as it’s a concurrent resolution

HCR 127 directs the state’s Legislative Research Bureau to “conduct a study on the feasibility and advisability of decriminalizing the illegal possession of drugs for personal use in Hawaii” so that it would “constitute an administrative or civil violation rather than a criminal offense.” Unfortunately the bill was amended in the Senate so that the study will only examine the potential decriminalization of offenses that “pertain to the illegal possession of a harmful drug, detrimental drug, marijuana or marijuana concentrate.” This dis-includes most Schedule 1 and 2 drugs such as psilocybin, LSD and cocaine.

Hawaii Bill to Study Drug Decriminalization Unanimously Approved by Senate Committee

April 19, 2016April 19, 2016 by Anthony Martinelli

A month after being approved 37 to 7 by the full Hawaii House of Representatives, a bill to establish a study on the decriminalization of all drugs has been approved unanimously by the Senate Judiciary Committee.

HCR 127 directs the state’s Legislative Research Bureau to “conduct a study on the feasibility and advisability of decriminalizing the illegal possession of drugs for personal use in Hawaii” so that it would “constitute an administrative or civil violation rather than a criminal offense.” Researchers will examine Portugal’s model of drug decriminalization, with the study to be finished and presented to the legislature by the end of the year.