left-reminders:Legal commodified weed that makes rich white people even richer without the restorati
left-reminders:Legal commodified weed that makes rich white people even richer without the restorative justice that would grant imprisoned working-class people of color their freedom, thus maintaining the private prison industrial complex that enforces white supremacy and exploits labor — a libertarian dream. While it took America a mere 12 years to recognize the futility of alcohol prohibition, marijuana prohibition is 75 years old and counting. It has become increasingly clear that the harmful effects of the war on marijuana are far greater than any harm from marijuana itself, a majority of Americans now favor re-legalization. The nation’s incarcerated population is 2.2 million people today—and 1 out of 5 people incarcerated are serving time for a drug offense. Between 40 percent and 50 percent of all drug arrests are for marijuana. Discriminatory enforcement of marijuana laws is one reason that black and Latino Americans make up two-thirds of the U.S. prison population despite only comprising 12 percent and 17 percent of the U.S. population, respectively. The federal government must take steps to legalize marijuana and remove criminal penalties! -- source link
#legalization#decriminalize#racial disparities#incarceration#police state#prison state#racism