Hartford, CT — PRESS RELEASE — The nation’s largest marijuana policy organization, the Marijuana Policy Project, has announced that it has hired attorney DeVaughn Ward to serve as senior legislative counsel. Ward will play an integral role in legalizing marijuana in Connecticut, where he is a longtime resident.

As Connecticut’s legislative session convenes Feb. 5, Ward is prepared to work closely with state legislators, the Connecticut Coalition to Regulate Marijuana, and allies to push for an end to prohibition in 2020. Ward also will serve as the co-director of the coalition, along with Adam Wood.

Ward has been a champion of civil rights throughout his career. He has spent nearly the past decade gaining experience in law and public policy after receiving his J.D. in 2011 at the University of Connecticut School of Law. During his years spent practicing law at his firm based in Hartford, he routinely represented clients who had their constitutional rights violated. In 2019, Ward was recognized as one of the “New Leaders in The Law” by the Connecticut Law Tribune. Outside of his work, he serves as a board member for several non-profit organizations in the greater Hartford area.

Karen O’Keefe, director of state policies at the Marijuana Policy Project, said, “We believe 2020 can and should be the year Connecticut ends the decades-old policy failure of marijuana prohibition. By bringing on DeVaughn and expanding our Connecticut organizing team, we are redoubling our efforts in the Constitution State to replace marijuana prohibition with thoughtful regulation.

“DeVaughn’s extensive experience working to protect constitutional rights and build community make him the perfect choice to lead the charge to transform Connecticut’s destructive marijuana laws into policies centered on social equity, public health and personal liberty.”

Ward said, “I’m extremely excited to join the Marijuana Policy Project in their advocacy efforts to legalize, regulate and tax marijuana for adult use. For 25 years, MPP has been at the forefront of the marijuana policy reform movement, and I’m humbled to join their team to push for an end to prohibition here in Connecticut.”