Protect Our Kids Explained

Protect Our Kids
Formation:	March 2022
Status:	Active
Purpose:	Oppose legalization and normalization of drugs.

Protect Our Kids is a political action committee (PAC) created to oppose the legalization and normalization of drugs in the United States in 2022.^[1] A so-called super PAC, Protect Our Kids is permitted to raise and spend unlimited amounts of corporate, union, and individual campaign contributions under the terms of the Citizens United Supreme Court decision.^[2]

Protect Our Kids was created by Luke Niforatos, a national drug policy expert and advocate against drug legalization,^{[3] [4]} in March 2022. One of the first actions of the PAC was to oppose the re-election of Republican U.S. Representative Nancy Mace, who had introduced the States Reform Act that would remove cannabis from Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act (known as de-scheduling).^{[5] [6]}

The organization funding of lawsuits failed to remove the 2022 Missouri marijuana legalization initiative from the November ballot in Missouri, after it was certified by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft.^[7]

See also

• Cannabis in the United States
• Legality of cannabis by U.S. jurisdiction

Further reading

• News: Colorado-based super PAC launches nationwide campaign to attack pro-marijuana candidates. Luige Del Puerto. The Gazette. Colorado Springs, Colorado . March 28, 2022.
• Parents against drug legalization launch Protect Our Kids PAC. Fox & Friends. March 30, 2022. streaming video. Fox News.
• News: Cannabis Business Times. New PAC Backed by SAM Executive Launches Campaign to Unseat Rep. Nancy Mace. Protect Our Kids was filed by Smart Approaches to Marijuana executive Luke Niforatos and will target cannabis reform advocates.. March 29, 2022. Tony Lange.

Notes and References

1. News: Metzger . Hannah . Protect Our Kids PAC warns against Colorado’s magic mushroom ballot measure . 19 August 2024 . Colorado Politics . 1 November 2022 . en.
2. Web site: 2012-10-18 . The 'Citizens United' decision and why it matters . 2022-04-25 . Center for Public Integrity . en-US.
3. Aaron Harber: Your Decision 2022 Prop 122: Access to Natural Psychedelic Substances PBS12 . 2024-04-16 . en . 2024-04-16 . video.pbs12.org.
4. Web site: Politics . Dan Njegomir, Colorado . 2019-06-17 . Q&A with Luke Niforatos Activist sees shifting perspectives on pot . 2024-04-16 . Colorado Politics . en.
5. News: Washington Examiner. New parent-driven PAC will oppose drug legalization in Congress and states. Cassidy Morrison. March 29, 2022.
6. News: Anti-marijuana group launches opposition campaign to SC's Nancy Mace reelection bid. Nick Reynolds . March 28, 2022 . The Post and Courier. Charleston, South Carolina.
7. News: Missouri Independent. Lawsuit asks judge to block marijuana legalization from appearing on Missouri ballot. Tessa Weinberg. August 22, 2022.