STATES
STATES VOTED TO LEGALIZE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA IN THIS YEAR'S ELECTION. THE STATE
OF OREGON EVEN DECRIMINALIZED
SMALL AMOUNTS. BUT HERE IN
ARKANSAS IT'S ONLY LEGAL IF
IT'S USED MEDICINALLY.
MEANWHILE, THOUSANDS OF MEN AND
WOMEN REMAIN BEHIND BARS FACING
CHARGES FOR A DRUG THAT IS NOW
LEGAL IN OTHER PARTS OF THE
COUNTRY. AND MANY OF THOSE
ARREST ARE IMPACTING
COMMUNITIES OF COLOR
DISPROPORTIONATE. IT WAS A MORE
STRESSFUL FOUR, FIVE YEARS
OF MY LIFE WITH NO CRIMINAL
RECORD. VERNON GARDNER WAS
ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH
POSSESSION OF MARIJUANA WITH
INTENT TO DELIVER AND SENTENCED
TO THREE YEARS PROBATION.
EVERYBODY'S CAPITALIZING ON IT
AND IT WAS IT WAS FROWNED UPON.
YOU KNOW, SO MUCH A FEW YEARS
AGO THAT, YOU KNOW, IT MAY
NEGATIVE CHANGE THAT A LOT
OF OUR LIVES FACED WITH
CONSEQUENCES THAT WOULD FOREVER
CHANGE HIS LIFE. AND THERE ARE
SO MANY OTHERS LIKE HIM WHETHER
YOU HAD ONE MARIJUANA CIGARET
OR AN OUNCE OF MARIJUANA OR A
LARGER AMOUNT, YOU ARE TREATED
AS A HARDENED CRIMINAL. YOU'RE
TREATED AS SOMEBODY HEINOUS A
MENACE TO SOCIETY. JUDGE
WENDELL GRIFFIN SAYS IT'S HAD A
DISASTROUS IMPACT ON MINORITY
COMMUNITIES OVER THE YEARS.
I'VE HAD SEVERAL CONVERSATIONS
WITH JUDGE GRIFFIN ABOUT
POLICING RACIAL INJUSTICE AND
INEQUALITY. BUT HE SAYS THE
EVENTS OF 2020 HAVE BROUGHT
THESE TOPICS TO THE FOREFRONT
BOTH IN SCHOOL OF LAW PROFESSOR
ANDRE DOUGLAS POND CUMMINGS HAS
STUDIED THIS DISPARITY FOR
YEARS AND SAYS THE INEQUALITY
DATES BACK TO THE WAR ON DRUGS.
THE DRUG LAWS HAVE BEEN
ENFORCED DISCRIMINATORY IN THE
UNITED STATES ACROSS RACES
RACES IMBIBE DRUGS AT ABOUT THE
SAME PERCENTAGE AS 6 OR 7
PERCENT OF ALL RACES ENGAGE IN
DRUG USE. BUT OUR PRISONS ARE
FILLED WITH AFRICAN AMERICAN
AND LATIN EX DRUG SELLERS AND
DRUG USERS BECAUSE THE LAWS
HAVE BEEN ENFORCED
DISCRIMINATORY WAY ACCORDING TO
A 2020 STUDY BY THE AMERICAN
CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION.
NATIONWIDE BLACK PEOPLE ARE
THREE POINT SIX TIMES MORE
LIKELY THAN WHITES TO BE
ARRESTED FOR MARIJUANA DESPITE
HAVING SIMILAR USAGE RATES. IF
YOU TAKE A LOOK AT THE STATE BY
STATE BREAKDOWN, ARKANSAS'S
RACIAL DISPARITY IS LOWER THAN
THE NATIONAL AVERAGE WITH BLACK
PEOPLE TWO POINT FOUR TIMES
MORE LIKELY TO BE ARRESTED.
WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE PEOPLE
WHO HAVE PURCHASED INDIVIDUAL
USES OF MARIJUANA INDIVIDUAL
KINDS OF MARIJUANA FOR
RECREATIONAL USE AND HAVE DONE
NOTHING EXCEPT USE THE
MARIJUANA AND WHAT HAPPENS TO
THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE SOLD THEM
THE RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA AND
NOT IMPORT THEY HAVE SO LESS
THAN THE ACREAGE THAT WE HAVE
LICENSED PEOPLE ABOUT TO RAISE.
AND WHAT HAPPENS THAT NOBODY IS
ASKING THAT QUESTION AND THAT'S
THE REALITY. WHILE MEDICINAL
MARIJUANA WAS LEGALIZED IN
ARKANSAS IN 2016 FEDERALLY IT
IS STILL AN ILLEGAL DRUG. IN
FACT IT FALLS IN ONE OF THE
MOST RESTRICTIVE CLASSES ON THE
SCHEDULE OF CONTROLLED
SUBSTANCES RESERVED FOR DRUGS
WITH A HIGH POTENTIAL FOR ABUSE
.BASICALLY MARIJUANA WAS
COMMERCIALIZED SO THAT THE
CAPITALIST SYSTEM COULD
GENERATE REVENUE AND THE
REVENUE IS BEING GENERATED TO
BENEFIT PEOPLE WHO AREN'T
WHITE. LET'S JUST BE HONEST. BY
AND LARGE PEOPLE WHO ARE WHITE
AND WEALTHY ARE UNDERWRITING
OUR FINANCING THE SO-CALLED
MEDICAL MARIJUANA INDUSTRY.
WHAT MESSAGE DOES THAT SEND?
IT'S THE MESSAGE OF CAPITALISM
AND ITS HYPOCRISY. I THINK THAT
EVERYONE IN JAIL FOR A
MARIJUANA IF THAT SHOULD BE
EXPUNGED, WE SHOULD COMMUTE
EVERY SENTENCE OF ANYONE
INVOLVED IN A NONVIOLENT DRUG
CONVICTION WHERE NO ONE WAS
HARMED. OR WHERE WHERE WEAPONS
WEREN'T BRANDISHED. WE SHOULD
WE SHOULD FREE THEM FROM PRISON
TO TOP STATE LEADERS DISAGREE
THAT MARIJUANA SHOULD BE
LEGALIZED. DRUG DIRECTOR KIRK
LANE AND SURGEON GENERAL DR.
GREG BLEDSOE HAVE BOTH URGED
ARKANSANS TO BE AWARE
OF PRODUCTS DERIVED FROM
CANNABIS, CITING THAT MARIJUANA
IS AS ADDICTIVE AND MORE POTENT
THAN EVER BEFORE. ARKANSAS IS
ONE OF THE HARSHEST STATES IN
THE UNION AND CONTINUING TO
CRIMINALIZE MARIJUANA. WE ARE
SIGNIFICANTLY BEHIND THE TIME.
JUST A SMALL AMOUNT
OF POSSESSION CAN END UP IN
FELONY AND A PRISON SENTENCE
WITH A LEGISLATIVE SESSION
APPROACHING IN JANUARY. JUDGE
GRIFFIN SAYS IF THERE'S GOING
TO BE CHANGE HERE IN THE
NATURAL STATE, LAWMAKERS NEED
TO BE CHALLENGED THAT THERE IS
SOMETHING TERRIBLY UNFAIR ABOUT
HAVING ONE PART OF THE
POPULATION THAT HAS A LICENSE
TO SELL AND VIEWS A SUBSTANCE
WITH IMPUNITY AND ANOTHER PART
OF THE POPULATION THAT IS
PERMANENTLY CRIMINALIZED AND
DISARMED FRANCHISED FOR SELLING
AND USING THE SAME SUBSTANCE.
WE HAVE REACHED OUT TO GOVERNOR
ASA HUTCHINSON ABOUT
LEGALIZATION EFFORTS HERE IN
ARKANSAS. HE SAID IN A
STATEMENT QUOTE I HAVE
CONSISTENTLY OPPOSED THE
LEGALIZATION OF MARIJUANA BUT I
ALSO REGULARLY PART IN DRUG
OFFENDERS WHO WERE CONVICTED
OF NONVIOLENT OFFENSES AND ARE
TRYING TO GET A BETTER START IN
LIFE. IF THERE WAS LEGISLATION
PROPOSED THAT EXPUNGE IS THE
RECORD FOR SIMPLE