Let's Talk About Weed, Baby
Let’s get high on information.
by MOLLY HARRIGAN ★ APRIL 20, 2021
Let’s be blunt:
This 4/20, it is critical for us to have a conversation about the legalization of recreational marijuana and what this means for racial equity and efforts towards decriminalization, specifically within minority communities.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo has legalized the recreational use of cannabis in the state of New York with the aim to establish new means of racial equity. New Yorkers ages 21 and older can now possess up to three ounces of cannabis product for recreational use with regulations for distribution and selling underway. In terms of where marijuana is permitted: wherever you can smoke tobacco, you can smoke cannabis, with private institutions establishing their own guidelines. The state has plans to issue retail and consumption licenses for interested businesses and will soon establish guidelines for the delivery of cannabis to private homes and establishments through the mail.
All of this being said, the legalization of marijuana must also be considered a racial inequality and social justice issue. The majority of those imprisoned for marijuana-related incidents are of Black or Latin descent. In fact, the ACLU reports that Black individuals are 283% more likely to be arrested and charged for cannabis possession than white individuals, despite sharing similar consumption rates. As legalization efforts continue across the states, the use of marijuana is becoming increasingly common as a social activity for numerous privileged white individuals while still being criminalized within minority communities. The system that has previously persecuted individuals for marijuana-related crimes, such as possession or distribution, has been riddled with racial injustice for years so what does this new law really mean for decriminalization?
For starters, this law seeks to build back minority communities that have been previously damaged in the crossfire of the prevailing war on drugs through the reestablishment of new guidelines for tax revenue distribution. In fact, The New York Times reports that “forty percent of the tax revenue from pot sales will be steered to those communities, and people convicted of marijuana-related offenses that are no longer criminalized will have their records automatically expunged.” New York’s law aims specifically at equity, rather than considering it as an afterthought as numerous other legalized states have done. With 81% of cannabis-owned businesses being white-owned and only a mere 4.3% being Black-owned, this law leaves a hefty portion of business licenses aside for minority communities in an effort to dismantle this disproportion. Not only will this new law be beneficial for racial equity, but this is also a win for the medical community of New York. The previously strict regulations on which patients could qualify for medical cannabis have now been expanded, allowing all patients who doctors see fit to no longer be restricted. Penalties for possession have been lessened and efforts to lighten sentences and assist those in custody for previous convictions are on the way.
Cuomo writes, “this is a historic day in New York, one that rights the wrongs of the past by putting an end to harsh prison sentences, embraces an industry that will grow the Empire State’s economy, and prioritizes marginalized communities so those that have suffered the most will be the first to reap the benefits.” However, there are still efforts to be made and work to be done. We must remember that without addressing past wrongful marijuana enforcements and their implications, legalization will only perpetuate years of injustices prevailing within minority communities. Nonetheless, “the U.S. House of Representatives is considering a bill that—if passed—would end cannabis prohibition by the federal government.” This would further seek to make amends for previous marijuana-related convictions and aid in racial equity efforts within the industry. It is evident that rebuilding the legalization legislation is going to be a joint effort, so we urge you to get loud: Text MORE to 40649 to do your part.
Sources:
https://www.nytimes.com/article/new-york-marijuana-legalization-facts.html
https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/31/nyregion/cuomo-ny-legal-weed.html
https://www.mpp.org/policy/federal/the-more-act/
https://www.aclu.org/report/tale-two-countries-racially-targeted-arrests-era-marijuana-reform
Cover photo credit: fashionindustrybroadcast.com