How to Be an Ethical Marijuana Consumer

In many places in the United States, the legal status of cannabis has changed dramatically in recent years. In some states, such as California, affluent consumers can now use a fully legal dispensary with smiling vendors to help you taste the strain or gum of your dreams. But underneath the glittery shop windows and $ 950 bongs sold at Barneys, the thriving marijuana industry is once again becoming a powerful driver of injustice.

Cannabis policy has long been disproportionately applied to communities of color, which have suffered from high rates of arrests , widespread criminalization , deportation and property confiscations with little or no procedural rules , to name just a few of the disastrous consequences of the so-called war on drugs. Now that cannabis is gradually being decriminalized, it is tempting to think that the moral and legal problems associated with it are coming to an end. Unfortunately, it is not that easy.

What does ethical use of marijuana mean?

As weed becomes legal in more and more places, it is also giving rise to a very lucrative industry. In 2018, legal weed was worth $ 10.4 billion; a full billion over the previous year. It is expected that by 2022 revenue of $ 23.4 billion. And as the market floods with newly minted herbalists, some are interested in correcting the mistakes of the past, ensuring that this new economic engine also benefits those historically harmed by anti-drug policies. The rest … no.

“Increasingly, we are faced with corporate marijuana organizations acting in their own interests,” said Jag Davis, director of communications strategy at the Drug Policy Alliance. These organizations generally act in the same way as the most aggressively profit-oriented corporations: doing their best to control market share, maximize profits, and, in some cases, block measures that would help regulate the industry, including measures that helped. would strengthen The market is not dominated by exceptionally large firms, often owned by white.

But few industries have experienced such a rapid transformation as cannabis, which has recently been successfully used against people of color and has dramatically increased the number of prisoners. For many, such as Davis and the DPA, consumers now have a responsibility not only to mitigate future damage, but also to develop policies that correct the mistakes of the past. This should include both legislative measures, such as removing convictions related to marijuana charges, and regulatory measures, such as removing barriers to access for those subject to racist drug laws, to now legally participate in the burgeoning marijuana industry. …

So what does this mean to me as a marijuana buyer?

As a consumer, you have a lot of power in making informed choices about which business to support.

“One of the most important questions is: Does the company support a free and fair marijuana market that does not provide it with disproportionate benefits?” Davis asked.

In one case, an industry group called the New York Medical Cannabis Producers Association helped successfully lobby New York Governor Andrew Cuomo to include a ban on indoor cultivation of recreational herb in his legalization proposal. While the group argues that its interests are related to concern for public safety, critics see this as a transparent attempt to suppress competition.

“From our perspective, it’s really hard to see any real reasons – other than personal or corporate greed – against home growing at this point,” said Eric Altieri, executive director of the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), said Marijuana Moment …

If that’s not enough, one of the NYMCIA businesses until recently was a California-based company called MedMen. Known as the “hemp Apple store” for its 2,000 feet of 5th Avenue storefront and sleek touchscreen displays, MedMen was recently uploaded from the association after its executives were caught using racial and sexist slurs. Of course, Medmen may have a chic address and a futuristic purchase process, but do you want your money from the grass to the treasury a guy who allegedly called a member of the city council of Los Angeles ” Kilikom-Negro “?

How do you tell good actors from bad actors?

Simply put, you have to do your homework. “People need to do research and people need to pay attention,” said Adam Vine, founder of the Cage-Free Cannabis advocacy group. Specifically, consumers must look at the entire supply chain, whether they buy from a pharmacy or a delivery service. “Who greets you when you walk through the door? Who’s coming to your door with the weed? Who is cheering? Vine asked. “Who owns the store? How do they pay their employees? Do they hire people affected by the war on drugs? What foods do they store? How do these companies work? Do members of their ownership group come from communities that are directly affected by it? Etc “.

As DPA’s Davis said, “It’s not like any other industry. There are millions and millions of people in the United States who were irreparably harmed by this policy, and this is still happening in many parts of the country. ”

Wow, it looks like a lot of work. Are there any shortcuts?

Not at the moment. The cannabis nature of marijuana laws across the country makes it impossible to standardize guidelines, in addition to the fact that marijuana is still illegal at the federal level. This fact alone precludes the possibility of easily classifying good and bad actors. “If I made a list of all the people of color who work in the cannabis industry, it would put all of these people at risk,” notes Vine. “So it’s not possible now.”

Unfortunately, the relatively high level of effort required to ensure the ethics of cannabis means that most people are not worried. Amber Senter, chief executive of Supernova Women, which supports women of color in the cannabis industry, told GQ last year that despite the unequivocally detrimental way of dealing with cannabis among blacks and browns, consumers have not done a lot of remedial work. ensuring industry accountability.

“Does the consumer have a responsibility?” Senter asked. “Well, I mean, do consumers usually support black and brown businesses in some other industry? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. You know? I would say mostly not. So will it be any different in cannabis? I doubt it very much. “

But if there is hope for a fairer future, consumers must begin to identify more actively as consumers in order to “create their own political and economic power,” Vine said.

“It used to be difficult because, of course, it was illegal to identify as a consumer. But now that stigma and legal risks are diminishing, it is imperative for consumers to identify themselves and become a powerful force in their own right. ”

Finally, don’t forget to protect

In addition to your personal actions as a consumer, you can also support legislative action. In February, for example, Senator Corey Booker re- introduced the Marijuana Justice Bill, which automatically reverses marijuana-related convictions and reinvests affected communities through a community foundation.

For now, as states continue to push for legalization, it is imperative that restorative provisions be incorporated into the law. To this end, the non-profit cannabis minority association has developed a government legalization model that aims to remove barriers to entry, such as strict application fees and restrictions on licenses. While this practice is already the rule of law in some places, such as San Francisco and Oakland, it is important that the rest of the country follows suit.