By Anais Rivera | Development & Communications Manager
3 Generations is working to bring attention to some of the pitfalls of cannabis legalization now that it has found it’s moment. The recession caused by the pandemic and the recent social unrest has brought increased interest in many state legislatures and it is expected that a record number of states will legalize marijuana in 2021.
Many lawmakers believe that cannabis legalization is necessary in the fight for social and racial justice. Decriminalizing marijuana is an important step in mitigating racial disparities in the criminal justice system and a way to reduce unnecessary police-civilian interactions. In recent weeks, many US states have sought to relax decades-old drug laws that criminalized cannabis use and possession and disproportionately jailed black people for non-violent offenses. Nevada pardoned more than 15.500 people who were convicted of carrying less than an ounce of cannabis. Decriminalization legislation is advancing in New Jersey, Georgia, and Virginia. In Colorado, a bill aimed at diversifying the state's legal cannabis industry was amended with a provision that would allow the governor to expunge residents' low-level cannabis convictions.
Budget shortfalls in states forced to shut down due to the pandemic, especially ones that have been eyeing decriminalization already, will cause governors looking for a way to bolster their economy to legalize cannabis for tax revenue. Cannabis sales in states that have approved using the plant for medical and recreational purposes totaled about $15 billion in 2019, and are expected to top $30 billion by 2024. Cannabis businesses were deemed essential in most states where the drug is legal during the pandemic and sales rose to record levels. The industry's performance in the last few months has made it clear that cannabis is recession-proof and therefore a boon to the economy.
At 3 Generations we hope to continue to sound the call about issues of racial justice and public health that are arising from the rapid growth of the cannabis industry. We are bringing awareness to social justice and social equity concerns like directing tax revenue to communities harmed by Drug War policies and increasing the number of minority cannabis business owners and employees. We also continue to fight the creation of a new, predatory industry intent on marketing extremely potent marijuana products without proper safeguards and protections for users.
For more information about this social justice issue and others please go to our website.
By Anais Rivera | Development & Communications Manager
By Jane Wells | Executive Director and Filmmaker
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