Page 2 - ARUBA TODAY

A2 UP FRONT
Monday 20 May 2019
others. becomes legal in Connect- Newark and former police
Legalization of recreation- icut, where he lives. officer. He supports ending
al pot in 10 states and the Some states and cities criminal penalties for mari-
District of Columbia, and have started post-legaliza- juana but not legalizing
medical pot in two-thirds of tion initiatives to expunge recreational use.
the states, hasn't eliminat- criminal records and open "I know what social justice
ed the gaps. In Colorado, doors in the cannabis busi- looks like," Rice says. "I also
for instance, a state report ness for people with pot know when people are be-
found arrests were fewer convictions. California, for ing used."
but the rate remained instance, passed a sweep- He doesn't foresee pot
higher among blacks five ing expungement law last shops enhancing neigh-
years after a 2012 vote for year affecting hundreds of borhoods where drugs
legalization. thousands of drug offend- have been a wellspring of
Meanwhile, the emerging ers. problems. And he's skepti-
marijuana industry is very New Jersey Sen. Cory Book- cal that, even with special
white, according to the lim- er has proposed a national incentives, residents would
In this April 26, 2019 photo, a sample Greenbox filled with CBD ited data available. legalization measure that reap the profits in an indus-
and hemp-based products is shown on a table in Atlanta, Ga. "It's obviously a problem," includes expungements try already infused with big
New York entrepreneurs Andrew Farrior and Ethan Jackson plan
to launch Greenbox.NYC as a subscription and delivery busi- said Morgan Fox of the and a community "reinvest- money.
ness for hemp and other legal cannabis-related products. National Cannabis Indus- ment" fund, and several of New York Assemblywom-
Associated Press try Association, which has his fellow Democratic sena- an Crystal Peoples-Stokes
helped craft suggestions tors and 2020 presidential agrees legalizing mari-
LEGALIZATION 2.0 confronted differences for social equity legislation. primary contenders have juana isn't a panacea for
Continued from Front even within their own party. Another industry group, the signed on . minority communities. But
Advocates say legaliza- The New Jersey measure Cannabis Trade Federa- Some veterans of early the Assembly's first African-
tion elsewhere hasn't done fizzled this week, when the tion, this week announced state legalization cam- American majority leader is
enough to achieve those state Senate president said plans to craft a diversity paigns have reckoned with championing a recreation-
goals. Critics maintain le- he'll aim for a 2020 referen- and equity policy in con- their limitations. al-pot proposal that's cur-
gal pot is even accelerat- dum while pursuing sepa- junction with national "We were overly cautious rently being revised.
ing inequality as the drug rate legislation to expand NAACP officials and other at the time, looking back," "It will not end racism. But it
becomes big business for medical marijuana and ex- civil-rights advocates. said Art Way, the Drug Poli- is a crucial step in the right
companies generally run punge low-level pot con- Some would-be minority cy Alliance's director in Col- direction," Peoples-Stokes,
by white men. victions. entrepreneurs have been orado. "But it didn't feel that a Buffalo Democrat, re-
"We're at the stage of Meanwhile, some New York caught in a cannabis way" when legalizing mari- cently wrote in Newsweek.
marijuana reform 2.0," said lawmakers said they'll soon Catch-22, unable to work juana and ending many ar- As an aspiring marijuana
Douglas Berman, an Ohio unveil an updated propos- in a legal pot business be- rests were unprecedented businessman in New York,
State University law profes- al to legalize pot and foster cause of a past conviction. goals in themselves. Andrew Farrior is following
sor who follows marijuana racial and economic eq- Others struggle to raise He's been fighting to make the legalization debate
policy. The conversation, uity. Activists remain hope- start-up money in an ex- Colorado's cannabis in- and its talk of social equity.
he said, has shifted from ful the state can set an ex- pensive industry that banks dustry more accessible to Farrior, who is black, is in-
just being about legaliza- ample. are leery about entering people with drug convic- trigued by the possibility
tion to, "which track should "Social justice is what's go- because of the federal tions and entrepreneurs of of incentives for entrepre-
we make sure we head ing to propel us, not what's government's prohibition modest means. neurs like him but not con-
down?" going to hold us back," said on pot. Opponents, too, are look- fident such plans would
Questions about convic- Kassandra Frederique, the "We're not going to have ing at how legalization translate into action. Mean-
tion-clearing and other New York director for the much time to make a has played out. They say it while, he and co-founder
issues contributed to de- pro-legalization Drug Policy space in the market for shows authorizing pot is no Ethan Jackson are plowing
laying legislative votes on Alliance. ourselves," said Jason Ortiz, way to help minorities. ahead with plans to launch
legalizing recreational pot Federal data shows similar vice president of the Minor- "The social justice issue is a Greenbox.NYC as a sub-
that had been expected percentages of white and ity Cannabis Business Asso- big front" for states and big scription and delivery busi-
earlier this spring in New black people use marijua- ciation. business to make money off ness for hemp and other le-
York and New Jersey . The na. But the arrest rate for Marijuana got Ortiz ar- marijuana, said New Jersey gal cannabis-related prod-
states' Democratic gover- blacks is higher, according rested as a teenager, but Legislative Black Caucus ucts. "We're ready to take
nors and legislative lead- to reports by the American now he hopes to start a Chairman Ronald Rice, a what the market gives us,"
ers support legalization but Civil Liberties Union and business if recreational pot Democratic senator from Farrior said.q
Report: 2 New Mexico counties among top oil producers

HOBBS, N.M. (AP) — Two which produced 17.3 mil- is No. 3. It really reflects not sin that straddles the New strategically important oil-
New Mexico counties re- lion barrels, the report said. only how much oil produc- Mexico-Texas border in- producing regions in the
main among the top oil- Lea County had more than tion there is, but how much cluding the southern half world.
producing counties in the twice the number of op- growth there has been in oil of Lea County, announced The coalition of compa-
U.S., according to new fed- erating rigs as McKenzie production to move up the the formation of an energy nies said it intends to ad-
eral numbers. County. chart as fast as Lea County alliance, collectively com- dress infrastructure chal-
Data from the U.S. Energy Steve Vierck, the outgoing has." mitting more than $100 mil- lenges and strengthen
Information Administra- CEO and president of the Meanwhile, New Mexico's lion over the next several communities across West
tion shows that Lea County Economic Development Eddy County was listed as years to spur additional Texas and southeast New
was the No. 2 oil-producing Corporation of Lea County, the No. 6 top oil-producing private-sector investment Mexico. They said building
county in January behind was pleased to hear the county. It produced 10 mil- in the region. new roads, recruiting new
North Dakota's McKenzie news. lion barrels during the same The 18 major oil companies doctors and teachers and
County, The Hobbs News- "Our production has rough- month. In November, a that comprise the Permian developing new neighbor-
Sun report ed. ly tripled in the last five group of major oil and gas Strategic Partnership said hoods will require years of
Lea County produced 14.6 years," Vierck said. "The companies with plays in the the Permian Basin is an oil- work, substantial resources
million barrels of oil in Janu- county produces over half Permian Basin, a portion of producing superpower, and sustained cooperation
ary while McKenzie County the state's oil and the state which is the Delaware Ba- becoming one of the most among many entities.q