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President Biden has announced he will issue pardons to thousands of people convicted of “simple possession” of marijuana under federal law. The House of Representatives has passed legislation that would decriminalize marijuana at the federal level and remove penalties for certain cannabis-related offenses. Another proposal, also controversial, is the idea of giving people with prior marijuana convictions a priority when applying for licenses to open up retail cannabis stores, as advocated by New York’s Governor Kathy Hochul (D). Straight Arrow News contributor Adrienne Lawrence describes why this is a good idea given our history of targeting people of color for marijuana violations.
It has been well known for a long time that despite the similarity of cannabis usage rates between Whites and non-Whites, well, it’s Black people being arrested for cannabis offenses at a rate of nearly four to one. That’s per the Brookings Institute.
Now those convictions have killed dreams and harmed lives, far eclipsing any potential danger presented from the use of the drug. Marijuana doesn’t bring anywhere near the level of harm presented by what heroin, yet the law classifies them as the same.
And you can’t even compare the toxins in alcohol yet it is readily available at every turn. Yet it’s criminalization of marijuana that has been largely waged as a tool to maintain systems of oppression, which is why our leaders are using it.
We need police to be retrained. If cannabis is going to be available to consumers’ business licenses, they should be made readily accessible to business owners from marginalized groups.
Communities that have been ravaged by this war on drugs should reap benefits from cannabis sales tax allowing for reinvestment into those communities. These types of comprehensive efforts, these are what we need to go beyond just pardons and expungements. It’s necessary. I sincerely urge you to advocate for your leaders out there for this type of change, one that’s not only meaningful but also reparative.
