Marijuana: Racial Justice

Marijuana: Racial Justice

MYTH: We must create a legal market for businesses to sell retail cannabis in order to achieve racial justice and reverse disparate impacts from the War on Drugs.

FACT: “Legalization” of marijuana has been a bait & switch for minorities, as legalization in practice has meant “commercialization”- propping up a legal market for retail cannabis products. Minorities communities have not profited from this new industry, while disparities within the criminal justice system persist.

The better way: Minnesota's lawmakers must learn the lessons from other states that have legalized marijuana under the guise of racial justice. Marijuana can be decriminalized as a standalone policy measure that is not tied to propping up a new vice industry that seeks to profit from human suffering. 

Informative Articles with Key Takeaways

After Virginia legalized pot, majority of defendants are still Black – Washington Post

“While marijuana arrests overall dropped in the year since Virginia became the first state in the South to legalize, Black adults accounted for nearly 60 percent of marijuana-related cases before the state’s general district and circuit courts, an analysis of marijuana-related code citations in the state’s court system concluded, despite Black people accounting for about 20 percent of the state population.”

D.C. legalized marijuana, but one thing didn’t change: Almost everyone arrested on pot charges is Black – Washington Post

“And while studies show that marijuana use is equally prevalent among Blacks and Whites, 84 percent of more than 900 people arrested for public consumption in the nation’s capital were African American in the four years after legalization.”

Black and Latinx owners are barely a blip on the cannabis revenue radar – The Chicago Reporter

“Depending on your perspective, the State of Illinois has either been beset by a series of unfortunate events, flawed legislation, or an ongoing conspiracy to protect the advantage of billion dollar cannabis companies ran by whites  who have never suffered from the impact of the War on Drugs.”

Post-Legalization Many African Americans 'Just Say No' To Marijuana Industry – NBC NEWS

“Numerous reports show that the black community continues to pay a high price for it in the criminal justice system even where marijuana is legal.”

This 4/20, State Delays Are Still Holding Up Minority-Owned Marijuana Businesses After More Than A Year – CBS News

“The state is running almost a year behind on those new licenses, and those delays continue – with the state's social equity plan still a work in progress more than a year into legalization.”

African-Americans largely left out of WA legal cannabis business – KIRO 7 News

“Dunn says it can cost anywhere from $100,000 to $300,000 to launch a store. Plus, “There are other instances where some of the rules and regulations systematically eliminate, systematically limit people of color…”

Cannabis is projected to be a $70 billion market by 2028—yet those hurt most by the war on drugs lack access - CNBC

“Across the country, data shows that many states and cities have seen less than satisfying outcomes from their social equity initiatives. In Massachusetts, only 1.2% of businesses are owned by racial minorities despite their social equity efforts. In Illinois, where 89 dispensaries exist, none are minority-owned. And in Chicago, where 16 dispensaries exist, just two are located in Black and Brown communities, according to The Chicago Reporter.”

Black Lawmakers to Block Legalized Marijuana in N.Y. if Their Communities Don’t Benefit – New York Times

“I haven’t seen anyone do it correctly,” Assemblywoman Crystal Peoples-Stokes, the first black woman to serve as Assembly majority leader, said of legalization. They thought we were going to trust that at the end of the day, these communities would be invested in. But that’s not something I want to trust,” she continued. “If it’s not required in the statute, then it won’t happen. Critics say marijuana legalization has fostered an inequitable system in which wealthy, white investors often reap the profits of the fledgling industry.”

The cannabis industry is booming, but for many Black Americans the price of entry is steep – The Guardian

“The arbitrarily capped social licensing process narrows the scope of eligible applicants with competitive lotteries for a limited number of licenses, pitting social equity applicants, or applicants from historically marginalized communities who have been disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs, against each other.”

Racial Disparities in the Wake of Cannabis Legalization: Documenting Persistence and Change– SAGE Journals

“Moreover, substantial racial disparities persist following legalization, especially in Colorado. Overall, evidence suggests that while legalization has likely had a net positive effect on overrepresented populations by decreasing criminal justice contact, it is not a panacea and may only be minimally important for addressing disparities.”

The challenges of getting social equity right in the state-legal cannabis industry - Reuters

"States trying to right the wrongs of the war on cannabis have touted increasingly progressive social equity components in their recent legalization efforts. Even if social equity programs survive legal challenge, it remains to be seen whether such programs will ultimately succeed in fostering a more diverse industry. A license is merely a ticket for admission into a highly competitive industry, with no guarantee of success. Hopefully states are already beginning to think about how to provide training and low-cost financing for the social equity applicants they are trying to prioritize. If they don't, they may just be setting up social equity applicants for financial failure a few months or years down the road."