The war on drugs has had a horrible impact on people from all walks of life, but I know it has disproportionately affected minority communities the most.
It’s inconceivable when you think 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 sincerely hope there is some kind of forgiveness rule because the number of non-violent drug offenders in jails and prisons is genuinely 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 1972 they succeeded and enacted a historic measure where non-violent, petty possession would be punished with a mere $5 fine. And of course, many simply didn’t pay the fines on top of it all. Other cities and states throughout the country followed suit, and we had a slow but steady transition from total prohibition in the partial legality we have today. I’m happy knowing that as a resident of both Ann Arbor and Michigan at large, I can benefit from both medical cannabis laws and recreational cannabis laws. The taxes are 10% lower on all medical marijuana purchases in Michigan compared to recreational marijuana. The statewide tax on cannabis is 6% and recreational weed has an additional 10% on top of that. That’s why so many choose to keep their medical marijuana cards in Michigan as they get lower prices at the dispensaries.