The Dayton chapter of the NAACP has joined the city of Dayton in support of the decriminalization of marijuana, which will be a ballot issue on Nov. 6.
Dayton voters will get to decide whether to decriminalize possessing small quantities of marijuana, which would make the city one of the few Ohio communities to remove penalties for recreational drug possession.
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The Dayton City Commission on Aug. 29 approved placing a measure on the Nov. 6 ballot.
Mayor Nan Whaley and Dayton NAACP President Derrick Foward met with reporters at a press conference Wednesday night.
She echoed her earlier comments about the war on drugs being a failure. She also has said criminalizing marijuana has not stopped a huge share of the population from using the drug and it has put many people behind bars who do not belong there.
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"We know this is a civil rights issue," Whaley said.
Foward said the chapter’s executive committee and general membership have voted to support the city's initiative.
"We stand with the city of Dayton" on the issue, he said.
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