In a historic first, the town of Evanston, Illinois, has become the first city in the U.S. to commit to paying the Black citizens who live within its borders reparations for generations of lost wealth, inequality and systemic racism as an ongoing result of slavery in the nation’s past. The…
Tag: Marijuana
House Passes Landmark Bill to Decriminalize Marijuana
The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday, Dec. 4, in favor of a bill that would decriminalize marijuana and expunge convictions for nonviolent marijuana-related charges at the federal level. This move comes amidst growing public acceptance of marijuana’s health benefits and its usage, as well as a growing sentiment…
NYPD Report Shows Black and Hispanic People Made up 90% of Marijuana Arrests Last Quarter
A New York Police Department (NYPD) report from last quarter shows that out of 291 people who were arrested in the city for marijuana, more than half were Black and only 18 were white. From July to September, Black and Hispanic people made up 90% of low-level marijuana arrests. Out…
ACLU Data Finds High Racial Disparities in New Jersey Marijuana-Related Arrests, Calls for Legalization
Though polls show most people in New Jersey agree that marijuana should be legalized, there has been an increase in marijuana arrests in the state in recent years, the ACLU of New Jersey’s most recent data reports. Out of these arrests, racial disparities between Black and white suspects are high….
Baltimore Ends Prosecuting Marijuana Cases
Marilyn Mosby, the state’s attorney for Baltimore, said on Tuesday that she would stop prosecuting marijuana possession cases regardless of quantity or prior criminal record. Mosby also urged state legislators to support a bill allowing her to vacate almost 5,000 criminal convictions, including corrupt police cases. “For far too long,…
Blacks More Likely to Abuse Drugs Due to 'Character Makeup' and 'Genetics,' Says State Rep. Alford
A 75-year-old white state representative from Kansas over the weekend cited 1930s racist propaganda in his argument against legalizing marijuana. According to Republican Rep. Stephen Alford, marijuana and other drugs were outlawed nearly 80 years ago because of Blacks, who were susceptible to drug use thanks to “their genetics and…
Jefferson Beauregard Sessions III's Move to Stop States from Legalizing Marijuana Is Racist
Yesterday, hate transcended 60 years of the Republican Southern Strategy. The party of states’ rights suddenly became anti-states’ rights. Why Black people and white people consume marijuana at roughly the same rate. However, Black people are arrested 2 to 5 times as much as white people for marijuana (some regions…
More Whites Smoke Weed, But NYC Spent $440M Targeting Blacks and Latinos
New York City cops intentionally are targeting Black and Latino youth for marijuana possession, according to a new report from the Drug Policy Alliance. The data suggest that the NYPD, under Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s administration, is acting on racial bias to inequitably arrest Black and Latinos for marijuana possessionan initiative…