Despite Legalization – Minorities still getting arrested at higher rates
One part of cannabis legalization aims at dismantling the negative impact it has on minority communities. This is especially true when it comes to arrest rates for African American communities and other communities of color.
While we have come far since the 1970s and the start of the drug war – there is still a disproportion when it comes to arrests between blacks and whites. The ACLU recently released data about a study they conducted in Colorado. Colorado is arguably the state with the least amount of cannabis arrests in the nation. This means that here we should see the most balanced approach in arrests between ‘whites and blacks’.
However, according to their previous report, “The War on Marijuana in Black and White, that examined arrests from 2000 to 2010, this report reveals that the racist war on marijuana is far from over. More than six million arrests occurred between 2010 and 2018, and Black people are still more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white people in every state, including those that have legalized marijuana. With detailed recommendations for governments and law enforcement agencies, this report provides a detailed road map for ending the War on Marijuana and ensuring legalization efforts center racial justice.” - Source.
Despite Colorado’s very lenient system – the report found that blacks were four times more likely to get arrested for possession than whites even thought consumption rates are fairly similar. Additionally – the report also found that half of all drug arrests is still for ‘simple possession’.
In other words – legalization did not curb the racial injustice being exercised by the police force. We’ll be taking a closer look at the reasons why below.
Cannabis isn’t a right legally…it’s a privilege.
The first thing we need to establish is the premise that “cannabis [currently] is not a right but a privilege”. Some of you might react and say, “FUCK YOU REG…IT IS A RIGHT!” and yes – you’re right! However, legally it is merely a privilege because you have a right to practice any religion you’d like yet have no federal limitations on how much you can worship or if you worship in the streets or not.
That’s the difference between rights and privileges. If your “rights” can be taken away for any reason – then they aren’t rights. A right is something that is yours irrespective of what anyone else says. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights for example, states in Article II;
Everyone is entitled to all the rights and freedoms set forth in this Declaration, without distinction of any kind, such as race, colour, sex, language, religion, political or other opinion, national or social origin, property, birth or other status. Furthermore, no distinction shall be made on the basis of the political, jurisdictional or international status of the country or territory to which a person belongs, whether it be independent, trust, non-self-governing or under any other limitation of sovereignty.
If you don’t know your own human rights – I highly recommend you brush up on them. Article 9 is particularly interesting when it comes to drug consumption and how every country essentially are violating your rights – but that is a discussion for another time.
The point I’m making here is that your human rights – are something that is set in stone, it cannot be negotiated nor legislated in any way. It’s like your RIGHT TO BREATHE.
The problem is that cannabis doesn’t fall in this category. We – as humans don’t own our bodies – and understanding that there are plenty of racists in Law Enforcement – utilizing something as insane as “busting people for a plant” is a legal excuse to exercise their racism.
IT’S IMPORTANT TO NOTE that I’m not saying ALL COPS. I know many Police Officers that aren’t corrupt and are there to actually serve their communities. We need to reward these cops and single out the ones who use their position to flex their power in communities of color. It’s difficult especially since the War on Drugs was literally birthed out of racism.
Thus – the only way to truly rid yourself from the racial divide and inequality would be to end a policy that was designed to oppress the blacks. No matter how much you try to argue around the point – the fact that the Drug War is still a legitimate policy within the Federal Government – you’ll continue to have “Sanctioned Racism” and “community oppression” occurring.
Higher Police Presence in Communities of Color
Minority communities tend to live in places with higher crime rates due to a number of reason – including a higher police presence. The fact that there are more police per capita in these neighborhoods increases the odds of people getting arrested.
Yet this is also a result from the “tough on crime” approach in the US. Why are you tough on people who – in many cases are in these positions due to their initial conditions of poverty and decades of bad legislation? Shouldn’t you rather work on community programs to provide more jobs, grow more food, work on nutrition, etc? By now we should already have realized that arresting your way out of problems never work.
What can we do?
There’s not much we can do – except express our disdain for this draconian policies that arrest minorities at higher rates. We can vote for people who are open to more sane drug policies – stand up against the police when you see them taking advantage against people of color, and become a police officer and try to change shit from the inside.
I used my skills to make you aware of the problem – it’s your turn to move the piece further along the board.
MINORITY ARRESTS? READ MORE...
RACIAL DIVIDES GROWING OVER WEED, CLICK HERE.
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