Cannabis Legalization and Social Justice

There’s no doubt that the use of cannabis, either for medical or recreational purposes, has been under robust debates for years. But many states have achieved the milestone of cannabis legalization and many more are following their footsteps.

Marijuana legalization is rising, and states are taking active measures to save money, promote business, and protect the public by regulating the use of the plant. Much of this can be attributed to high public support, which has only increased over the years.

What about past marijuana convictions?

If the cannabis business is making a shift from illegality to legality, one very critical question arises—what happens to those who were convicted of illegal cannabis use? The good news is that past marijuana-related crimes may be wiped out in certain states as the plant changes its legal status.

Take California for example. Californians not only voted to legalize cannabis but also voted to conceal or reduce past cannabis related crimes by petition courts. As a move towards reparative justice, state residents can now file petitions to change some misdemeanors and felonies and eliminate convictions for growing or possessing the plant.

Maryland, Colorado, Oregon, and New Hampshire have made it simpler and more accessible for marijuana convicts to be free of any charges. Lawmakers in Massachusetts are also considering a move to introduce a criminal justice bill, which would allow people to strike out any conviction that’s no longer of a criminal nature.

How are states upholding social justice?

There has been a dramatic reduction in cannabis arrests in states where the plant has achieved legal status. This has not only saved states millions of dollars but also spared people from being labeled with a lifelong criminal record.

Here’s how states are allotting cannabis revenue for social good:

·      Oregon allocates 40% and 20% of marijuana tax revenue to its state school fund and alcohol and drug treatment respectively.

·      Nevada imposes a 15%-wholesale tax, which is projected to contribute $56 million to state schools over the next two years.

·      Between 2015 and 2017, Colorado allotted $230 million to the Colorado Department of Education to fund early literacy, school construction, and bullying prevention.

·      Massachusetts and California have planned to invest a part of their cannabis tax revenues in low-income communities of color most negatively affected by drug arrests and imprisonment.

While marijuana-related arrests have reduced, states have to take more stringent measures to regulate the business. But, so far, the state-level measures have been remarkable and paints a hopeful picture of the future, especially for those who have been dubbed as criminals when cannabis was illegal.