How the War on Drugs Fuels Racist Police Violence

For Black people the consequences of law enforcement jumping into the drug war clearly can be harmful and even lethal.

Cannabis can play a unique role in reform.

Considering the popularity and strides that cannabis legislation has made over the past few decades, this is an area that does pose an opportunity to enact real change and could be an example for the type of reforms we want to see. (However, we don’t want to promote “cannabis exceptionalism,” Frederique says, which is the concept that cannabis use is the only acceptable form of drug use.)

But even in the case of cannabis, legalization alone isn’t enough. In states that have legalized cannabis use in the U.S., it often happens in a sort of gradual model in which cannabis possession and use is first decriminalized, which typically means there can’t be an arrest or jail time for possessing a small amount of cannabis for a first offense. Then maybe a state will pass legislation allowing cannabis use for medical reasons, followed by recreational (“adult use”) reasons.

At first glance, it seems like legalizing cannabis solves a lot of the problems associated with racial inequity in the world of drug use. And it does help solve some and generally can improve the perception that the public has of drug users.

But even in the states that have legalized cannabis use, inequities remain. For instance, people who operate outside of the legal market in a legal state may still be at risk for arrest. And on the business side, the vast majority of legal cannabis businesses are owned by white people, people who have generally not had to endure firsthand the harms of the war on drugs. Having a criminal record makes it difficult to start a business, obviously. And cannabis legislation doesn’t always guarantee record expungement or prison releases for those who’ve been arrested for drug-related crimes in the past.

Even attempts at making sure equity is a key part of legislation (like making sure people of color are given priority when opening legal cannabis businesses) don’t necessarily guarantee it will work out that way: In California for instance, delays in issuing permits to Black would-be business owners have put a huge strain on their bank accounts, sometimes sending them into debt.

How can we make real change?

For real, necessary change to take place, any drug policy reform that lawmakers pass must also funnel money from police budgets that was used to fund drug surveillance, Frederique says, and put it into programs that help the communities of color hardest hit by the war on drugs. And, ultimately, “anyone that is interested in ending the war on drugs needs to be a part of the police accountability movement,” she says. The two go hand-in-hand.

There are organizations out there working to end the war on drugs (and cannabis in particular), repair the harms it caused and continues to cause, and to make sure the world of cannabis is an inclusive one, particularly for Black people. Frederique recommends looking for police accountability groups as well as connecting with the people in your life who use drugs, as they are the ones leading this movement.

If you’re looking to give attention, energy, or money, here are a few organizations to consider:

1. Drug Policy Alliance

A non-profit organization dedicated to reforming drug policy in a way that is compassionate, based in scientific evidence, and protects people’s ability to decide what they want to put into their own bodies.

Follow them on Instagram.

2. In Our Names Network