Black Freedom Project on NY Marijuana Legalization

NEW YORK – In response to the agreement on New York marijuana legalization announced March 28, 2021, Black Freedom Project, a statewide coalition of Black-led and centered organizations and advocates, growing out of intersecting struggles of Black people and work to further build a Black Liberation movement in NYS, released the following statement:

“The criminalization and demonization of the cannabis plant, and other drugs, is an extension of a racist system that has devastated BIPOC communities. In the early 1900s, demonization of cannabis was used to spread fear about Mexican migrants and perpetuate narratives that the use of marijuana would make Black and Latinx men violent, and over the years that rhetoric continued to associate the plant with violence and a gateway to more dangerous drugs. This narrative led to harsher criminal penalties and sentencing, policing, surveillance, criminalization, and incarceration of BIPOC communities despite white people using marijuana at similar rates.

“We applaud Assemblymember Crystal Peoples-Stokes, Senator Liz Kreuger, Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie for their leadership on turning the page on this racist history and making NYS a leader in repairing generations of harm done by criminalization and demonization of marijuana. This legislation brings equity to Black and Latinx communities with direct investment, as well as access to ownership in the new legal market; excludes odor as a sole basis for a stop and search, a proxy used too often to stop and frisk thousands of Black and Latinx people; and social equity that prioritizes Black and Latinx communities, and much more.

“We thank the tireless efforts from the Black organizers and advocates who held the line on ensuring our community was centered. Though the work to end the war on drugs continue as well as the work to unlearn and undo the harmful rhetoric about marijuana that permeates in our communities and inform policies in various agencies, we see this final marijuana legislation as a major victory and look forward to the NYS Legislature passing this bill, and the Governor signing it immediately.”

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