Third Party Thursday Presents - The US Marijuana Party

The US Marijuana Party’s name says it all. This single-issue party is dedicated to the legalization of marijuana and the cessation of the War on Drugs. Specifically, the party seeks…

• “to remove all penalties for adults 18 and over who choose to consume cannabis in a responsible manner”
• “an end to the war on productive and otherwise law abiding citizens”
• “the right to use any medication our healthcare providers and we deem fit”
• “the release of all people imprisoned on marijuana charges and that their criminal records be expunged”
• the return of “all property seized in marijuana … to [its] rightful owners”
• “the right to grow marijuana for personal consumption”

With no significant exposure at the national level, it seems that the party’s current strategy is to seek marijuana legalization on a state-by-state basis. If you are interested in the US Marijuana Party’s cause, you might consider attending the Illinois Chapter’s event in Peoria on March 3, or the Denver, Colorado, rally on March 5.

Unlike many other Third Parties, the US Marijuana Party accepts donations by credit card and Paypal through its website. They may not raise much this way, given that their December total was only $27.29, but by January 11 they had raised $66.81 towards the $100 needed to maintain their website for one year. They also sell a line of Party apparel - everything from boxer shorts to teddy bears, and even a dog T-shirt. I suspect that they may sell more hoodies than they get votes in a given year.