Marijuana activists take to Rehoboth Beach to call for cannabis reform

REHOBOTH BEACH, Del. – While marijuana is legal in the First State, some cannabis activists say that’s not enough.

Zoe Patchell, along with other cannabis reform activists, took to the Rehoboth Beach boardwalk to make their voices heard.

“We’re out here to call for congress and President Biden to reschedule cannabis,” Patchell said.

Following the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration’s decision to reclassify marijuana as a less dangerous drug, some are calling this move a win for the cannabis community. However, Patchell isn’t completely sold yet.

“Millions of people have been incarcerated and had their lives ruined for a plant that’s safer than alcohol,” Patchell said. “It’s really important, especially on a day like today, where the entire world comes together on a day of unity, and says, enough is enough. Stop arresting people for a plant that’s safer than alcohol.”

That day of unity Patchell referred to is the first Saturday of every May, when cities around the world participate in the Global Marijuana March.

U.S. Army Veteran, Wayne Packard, has been on his own journey with cannabis, and cited the positive affects it’s had on his life.

“As a veteran myself, who is recently sober from alcohol, I feel like cannabis has allowed me to heal in ways that pharmaceuticals weren’t necessarily giving me an option,” Packard said.

Patchell said there’s still more work to be done at the state and federal levels, to ensure justice for all who have been affected by the war on drugs.

“We’ve seen the firsthand devastation, the human and economic cost of cannabis prohibition in the President’s own state,” Patchell said. “It’s imperative that congress and the President act now to end the arrests, protect Delaware’s brand-new legal industry, and the thousands of jobs it’ll create, and end the State vs. Federal conflict.”

Looking ahead, Patchell is planning another rally on National Alcohol Repeal Day on December 5th, to help raise awareness on the double standards between marijuana and alcohol.