California NAACP Backs Initiative To Legalize Marijuana

[Ganjarden]

Saying that prohibition takes a heavy toll on minorities, leaders of the NAACP's California chapter announced Monday that they are backing passage of a marijuana legalization initiative on the November ballot.

The war on drugs is a failure and disproportionately targets young men and women of color, particularly black males, said Alice Huffman, president of the NAACP's state conference.

The group cited statistics from the Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice showing that in 2009, 62 percent of the state's marijuana arrests were of nonwhite suspects and that 42 percent were under 20.

The pattern was consistent in the state's 25 largest counties, with arrests of blacks at double, triple and quadruple the rate of whites even though studies show that blacks use marijuana at lower rates than whites, NAACP officials said.

"We are joining a growing number of medical professionals, labor organizations, law enforcement authorities, local municipalities and approximately 56 percent of the public in saying that it is time to decriminalize the use of marijuana," Huffman said in a prepared statement.

November's measure, if approved, would allow people 21 and older to legally possess an ounce of cannabis. Marijuana sales would be taxed, potentially raising billions of dollars for government services. Opponents say legalization would increase crime and drug dependency.


NewsHawk: Ganjarden: 420 MAGAZINE
Source: Kentucky.com
Author: CATHERINE SAILLANT
Contact: Kentucky.com
Copyright: 2010 Kentucky.com
Website: California NAACP backs initiative to legalize marijuana

* Thanks to MedicalNeed for submitting this article

 

[hydronewbie]

African Americans and Latinos were scapegoats exemplified by William Randolph Hearst in hit pieces featured in newspapers across America in the 1930's. If and when Latinos join the cause to decriminalize marijuana their numbers will speak for themselves in November.

BTW, I recently watched 'The Union: The Business of Getting High' documentary. I thought it was very good.

 

[SnowBender]

African Americans and Latinos were scapegoats exemplified by William Randolph Hearst in hit pieces featured in newspapers across America in the 1930's.

Reason enough for repeal of prohibition without any vote even needed. Add in the trampling of patients rights and its a clear case of discrimination at the federal level through and through.

 

[MedicalNeed]

Yes Cannabis Prohibition is an encouragement of and approval of Racism by the US Federal Government.

They approve of it they push and help promote Racism and incarcerate for the purpose of spreading Racism and making sure Cannabis Consumers cannot vote to change their Racist ways.

Locally we have had this discussion also thinking that if the races of the majority of Cannabis arrest and then the Youth would vote we could end Cannabis Prohibition very quickly, but it seems as all the incarceration of these people in the past has keep most all of them from joining the cause.

Also the Older voting populace is much more accepting of Cannabis then one might think at least once you start showing all the Medical Benefits from Cannabis.

It think there should be groups formed to go around to these people and spread the word and True Cannabis-Hemp information to get them on-board the Cannabis-Hemp movement.