New Study Finds That Legal States Have Lower Rates of Cannabis-Impaired Driving
by Chane Leigh
Protesters continue taking to streets. Crowds in the streets are still increasing daily with those outraged over the death of George Floyd and police brutality in general. The cries of this crowd speak volumes about the disproportionate effects of police interaction and people of color (POC). Discussing whether this incident was racially motivated is not what we are talking about, but rather the massively increased risk that comes with being a POC and having any police contact.
Not only are POC at an increased risk of having police contact, but this contact is often more aggressive and often a result of indirect racial targeting. Studies have shown that POC are significantly more likely to be arrested for possession of cannabis. Some want to say that POC use cannabis more often, but actually other demographics are consuming cannabis at the same rate. The correlation between POC, cannabis, racial injustice, and over-policing is bigger than most consider.
While racial disparities have unfortunately existed since the inception of this country, many elements have gone into play that have deepened these. Despite many efforts to create equality legislatively, it seems in this time communities are calling for big changes. In a letter signed by 44 members of Congress to the Department of Justice regarding the death of Breonna Taylor during a drug-raid, lawmakers stated, “Ms. Taylor was a young woman with plans for a long, fruitful life… Instead, her life was brutally cut short by a haphazard law enforcement exercise…it is time for the U.S. Department of Justice to honor hers.”
Supported by The Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Drug Policy Alliance, and American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU); the letter brings to light the excessive force commonly utilized in even low level, non-violent drug investigations. According to a recent report from the ACLU, in Kentucky, which ranks second in racial disparities in cannabis enforcement, it shows that black people there are 9.4 times more likely to be arrested for the offense compared to white people despite similar cannabis consumption rates.
Because of these blending and blurring issues, twelve House members introduced a resolution the last week of May 2020, condemning police brutality in light of the recent law enforcement killings that have galvanized mass protests. The measure specifically notes the racial injustices of the war on drugs. In addition to condemning “all acts of brutality, racial profiling, and the use of excessive force by law enforcement officers and calls for the end of militarized policing practices,” the resolution urges the Justice Department to investigate individual cases of police violence and racial profiling and establish all-civilian review boards to provide community oversight of policing.
Cannabis arrests nationally are down 18% since 2010, but there has been an uptick since 2015—even though more states are enacting legalization or decriminalization policies. Cannabis arrests accounted for 43 percent of all drug arrests in 2018, the most recent year the report covers, and an overwhelming majority of those arrests—89.6 percent—were for possession alone. The trend toward legalization and decriminalization hasn’t reduced national trends in disparate enforcement—and in some parts of the country, they have worsened.
The War on Drugs was created to target POC and their communities. Despite the legalization trend spreading, the War on Drugs continues to disproportionately affect POC.
Smoking cigarettes can impact one’s oral health by putting them at a higher risk of developing the likes of cancer, gum problems, tooth decay, and complications after oral surgery, according to the Better Health Channel. Does smoking cannabis pose the same risks? Unfortunately, it seems that oral health is put at risk regardless of what…
Cannabis is being increasingly chosen as an alternative to pharmaceutical medication, specifically those like opioids that are intended to reduce pain. Cannabis has been shown to effectively block pain, and recent research confirms that it reduces the need for opiate pain killers among cancer patients. These patients arguably have the most to gain from cannabis,…
Have you ever experienced that dreaded “cotton mouth” after smoking a joint? If so, you are not alone. Cannabis, depending on the chosen strain, may reduce saliva gland production. Because of this, the body produces less saliva and the mouth becomes drier than the Sahara Desert! But does this mean that cannabis dehydrates you? This…
Cannabis prohibition started back in the early 1900s in America. States in the east were among the first in the nation to support prohibition. Lawmakers of the time limited public access to cannabis for strictly medical use back in 1914. By 1927—a decade before cannabis was outlawed federally—the state of New York had outlawed cannabis…
Some folks absolutely love moon rocks and others want nothing to do with them. I’m not talking about rocks from our moon—I’m talking about cannabis moon rocks. These mega-balls of THC have started trending in recent years, but many members of the cannabis community still don’t know what they are or what they’re designed for….
Psychedelic therapy and microdosing in particular have been gaining attention around the world in recent years. But have you ever heard of…
CBD’s growing legality across the U.S. and beyond has contributed to a swelling range of products. With the continued growth of the…
Germany began crafting legalization legislation, Rob Dyrdek and DJ Diplo launched a line of cannabis-infused seltzers, and Oregon passed the first-ever synthetic…
