Drug Policy Action Statement on Pete Buttigieg Making All-Drug Decriminalization a Key Priority of His Platform

August 23, 2019 – New York, NY – Below is a statement from Maria McFarland Sánchez-Moreno, Executive Director of Drug Policy Action, in response to 2020 presidential contender Pete Buttigieg adding all-drug decriminalization with an evidence-based, health-centered approach to his platform, as a priority for first-term in office.

“All presidential candidates should join Pete Buttigieg in recognizing that the criminalization of people for their drug use is wrong and simply bad policy. Possession of drugs for personal use is the single most arrested offense in the United States, eclipsing arrest rates for any other offense. With overdose numbers skyrocketing and entire communities, disproportionately black or brown, suffering from criminalization, it’s time for policymakers to shift gears. Taking an evidence-based, health-centered approach to address this crisis is not only true leadership – it’s common sense.”