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U.S. NEWS Friday 6 September 2019

New push for racial equality in the marijuana trade

By WILLIAM J. KOLE people were 3.3 times more marijuana prohibition and
Associated Press likely than white people to the war on drugs.
BOSTON (AP) — Black en- be arrested for marijuana “Statewide, the voters have
trepreneurs who say peo- possession in 2014 — two clearly called for legaliza-
ple of color are being shut years before legalization — tion to be carried forth in
out of the lucrative marijua- despite using the drug at a manner that promotes
na trade are joining forces similar rates, RACE said in a equity, but on the munici-
to close the gap. statement. pal level, from Brockton
Real Action for Cannabis Many communities are us- to Cambridge to Western
Equity, or RACE, launched ing those convictions to Massachusetts, equity is be-
Thursday in Boston, and its deliberately exclude peo- ing sabotaged,” Harding
founders said the coalition ple of color as they license said. “Fairness is not being
will work to create more marijuana businesses, said achieved in the process,
opportunities in the industry coalition co-founder Rich- and it is certainly not being
for minority owners. ard Harding. achieved in the result.” In this March 25, 2018 file photo, a visitor examines a marijuana
Organizers said they’re frus- “On the municipal level, this The coalition said it will pro- sample at the New England Cannabis Convention in Boston.
trated that all but two of is not unlike the Jim Crow mote the interests of en- Associated Press
Massachusetts’ 184 mari- laws or civil rights struggles trepreneurs and workers of Messages were left seeking chusetts’ industry looks like
juana business licenses of the past, whereby high- color as they seek equal comment from city officials. Massachusetts,” it said.
have been issued to white er-level mandates for equi- access to the marijuana The state’s Cannabis Con- Nationwide, cities and
operators. Voters in the ty are being intentionally or business, starting with a trol Commission, which states have been taking
state approved recreation- irresponsibly ignored on the voter outreach campaign regulates the industry in steps to encourage minori-
al marijuana use and sales local level,” Harding said. aimed at raising aware- Massachusetts, told The As- ties to enter the growing
in a 2016 referendum. RACE said discrimination ness of the racial and eth- sociated Press it’s commit- cannabis industry and re-
Across the U.S., black peo- persists even though the nic gap. The campaign will ted to an industry “which move legal obstacles. Most
ple have had difficulty en- Massachusetts ballot initia- include ads on Facebook, includes full participation of the measures are aimed
tering the marijuana trade, tive included mandates YouTube and other plat- from people of color.” at ensuring people with
often because they histori- aimed at promoting equity forms, it said. “The commission will con- past marijuana convictions
cally were targeted by an- for people of color who RACE planned to hold a tinue to collaborate with aren’t excluded from ap-
ti-drug crackdowns that left were disproportionately silent demonstration Friday municipalities, other state plying for a retail license
them with criminal records. prosecuted, criminalized afternoon outside Cam- agencies and the private or working in a cannabis
In Massachusetts, black and incarcerated during bridge city hall. sector to ensure Massa- business.q