How is Cannabis tied to the fight for racial equality?

       Recently in America, there were protests across the country because of the constant systemic oppression Black people face. Although the protests became more intense since George Floyd's death, people aren't only protesting because of this death. He was just one of many Black men and women that police officers killed. Police officers have murdered many Black men and women for no reason. The American system has devalued the lives of many black people for centuries now. 

      Additionally, the unjust system inflicted on black people is obvious in all walks of life. The stigmas associated with cannabis have racial undertones. Black people are 3.6 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession with similar usage rates according to an ACLU research report that examined arrests from 2000 to 2010. 

    Police tend to target individuals based on race, and with each arrest, there is a higher chance of a Black person dying.  In America, Black people are misperceived. Black people are overrepresented as criminals in news coverage, and this leaves impressions on all people. According to Statista, most states' police forces killed more black people at a higher rate per capita than white people.

     Although black people make up about 2% of the total US population, black males between the ages of 15 and 34 made more than 15% of all deaths recorded. Police brutality is disproportionately affecting black people.

    Additionally, the perception of cannabis is commonly tied to the perception of Black people since President Nixon declared a "War on Drugs". Cannabis struggled for many years to earn legalization across the United States because the "War on Drugs" left a prevalent stigma on cannabis. However, research through the years has proven that it was an unfair stigma since cannabis isn't as harmful as many believe, and President Nixon's policy was built off the wrong reasons. 

    A top Nixon aide told an author that the policy was supposed to target Black people and hippies, according to Business Insider. The public would associate Black people with heroin and hippies with marijuana. Since then, marijuana has become more and more associated with Black people.

  The Cannabis community should put in an effort to make a change because we will continue to grow more associated with Black people and Black culture. As people in the cannabis community, we should understand this and be a part of fighting against racial inequality. As long as Black people are oppressed, Cannabis will be oppressed as well.