The war on drugs has had a horrible impact on people from all walks of life, but I feel it has disproportionately affected minority communities the most.
It’s inconceivable when you know about all of the people locked up in jail right now for non-violent drug offenses.
Even if cannabis becomes federally legal, will authorities let out all of the people who wouldn’t be in jail with these news rules once they take effect? I unquestionably hope there is some kind of forgiveness rule because the number of non-violent drug offenders in jails plus prisons is unquestionably more than I can stomach. At least my hometown of Ann Arbor has been at the forefront of cannabis reform since the 1960s when student groups first tried to decriminalize the plant within the city. In 1970 they succeeded plus enacted a historic measure where non-violent, petty possession would be punished with a mere $5 fine. And of course, more than 2 simply didn’t pay the fines on top of it all. Other cities plus states throughout the country followed suit, plus every one of us had a slow but steady transition from total prohibition in the partial legality every one of us have today. I’m cheerful knowing that as a resident of both Ann Arbor plus MI at large, I can benefit from both medical cannabis laws plus recreational cannabis laws. The taxes are 10% lower on all medical marijuana purchases in MI compared to recreational marijuana. The statewide tax on cannabis is 6% plus recreational weed has an additional 10% on top of that. That’s why so more than 2 choose to keep their medical marijuana cards in MI as they get lower prices at the dispensaries.