Who gets to celebrate 420?
Happy 420 to those who celebrate! For those who don’t know what this very special day is, today is a national holiday for marijuana smokers everywhere. For potheads, April 20 is one of the sweetest days of the year─one in which we indulge (more than usual) in smoking our beautiful herb.
While most of us are rolling and lighting up on this glorious Wednesday, it’s important that we acknowledge those who are unable to celebrate with us due to marijuana arrests and punishments. Slowly but surely weed is becoming legalized throughout the United States for recreational and medical use. 37 states have legalized medical marijuana use, and 18 have legalized both medical and recreational use. Currently such use is legal in states like New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, California, Illinois, Maine, Colorado, and several others. Approximately 70 million Americans have used marijuana, yet almost half of the 1.5 million arrests in the U.S. for non-violent drug violations are for marijuana possession.
According to the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws, people of color made up 94% of arrests related to marijuana by the New York Police Department in 2020. The ACLU reports that Black people are over three times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than their white counterparts in every single state in the country.
The ratio of marijuana smokers in the U.S. to those behind bars for using the same drug reflects the racial bias that is ingrained in the American justice system. While recreational use of weed becomes more and more popular throughout the country, white Americans are able to open dispensaries, promote new cannabis lines, and speak publicly about using marijuana for fun. These privileges are not afforded to Black and brown Americans who have served years in prison for using and selling cannabis. We must never forget that there are people of color in the U.S. serving decade-long sentences for doing what is now legal almost everywhere in the country.
As What We Water’s theme this April is autonomy and community, we want to highlight ways in which we can support Black and brown individuals who are currently incarcerated for non-violent criminal offenses related to marijuana possession. If you’re a fellow pothead, it’s important to invest in the liberation of cannabis prisoners who are isolated from a society in which green is the dream.
Here are some of the ways we can support members of our community:
1. Last Prisoner Project: Founded in 2019, the Last Prisoner Project is a nonprofit organization whose purpose is to advocate for cannabis criminal justice reform. Their mission statement reads:
“As the United States moves away from the criminalization of cannabis, giving rise to a major new industry, there remains the fundamental injustice inflicted upon those who have suffered criminal convictions and the consequences of those convictions.
At the Last Prisoner Project we utilize a three-pronged approach to securing FULL freedom for the communities we serve. Through intervention, advocacy, and awareness campaigns the Last Prisoner Project works to redress the past and continuing harms of these unjust laws and policies.”
The project features several ways individuals can get involved and take action to support those arrested for cannabis use or possession in the United States.
Writer a Letter to a Cannabis Prisoner: Last Prisoner Project is excited to present an online letter writing form so our supporters can write letters to currently incarcerated cannabis prisoners that our team will print out and mail for you. Please write a thoughtful letter that is at least 3-4 sentences and be sure to include your return address if you'd like to encourage a response
New Jersey Cannabis Clemency: At the same time many are poised to profit off of New Jersey's state-regulated cannabis industry, others remain incarcerated for the exact same activity. To address this injustice, we—alongside a coalition of other New Jersey-based criminal justice and cannabis policy reform-focused organizations—are calling on New Jersey Governor Murphy to free all those who remained imprisoned in New Jersey for cannabis-related offenses.
Federal Cannabis Clemency: We’re calling on President Biden to deliver bold action and immediate relief by granting clemency to the thousands of people incarcerated due to, otherwise still burdened by, federal cannabis-related convictions. Our plan gives the Biden-Harris Administration a step-by-step guide to effectuating class-wide cannabis clemency effort in an efficient, effective and secure manner. The proposal, which draws inspiration from the clemency efforts of past Presidents, would help us build a more just and equitable America.
2. Knowledge is Power: There are several public resources available that work to inform Americans on unjust drug policies and criminal justice reform related to marijuana. It’s important to know what information exists in order to amplify the voices of those behind bars for weed. Read up on the following resources:
CANNABIS & THE RISE OF THE CARCERAL STATE by Natalie Papilion (2020)
A Friendly Reminder: Decriminalization Doesn’t Do Enough by Natalie Papillion (2020)
Cannabis Legalization is Criminal Justice Reform by Steve Hawkins
THE WAR ON MARIJUANA IN BLACK AND WHITE by the American Civil Liberties Union
A WAR ON MARIJUANA, OR A WAR ON BLACK COMMUNITIES? by Nehemiah Bester and Neydin Milián
3. Support Black and brown individuals in the cannabis industry: With the gradual legalization of weed across the country, we are seeing pop up dispensaries for recreational marijuana use. While many of these dispensaries are owned and operated by white Americans, we must make a collective effort to support Black and brown individuals in the cannabis industry. Here are some POC owned dispensaries in DMV to support during 4/20 and always:
Top Level DC: 3715 Macomb St NW Suite 201, Washington, DC 20016
District Hemp Botanicals: 1323 Connecticut Ave NW 2nd Floor, Washington, DC 20036
Cannabliss: 4721 Sheriff Rd NE, Washington, DC 20019
All the Buzz: 3232 Georgia Ave NW, Washington, DC 20010
Mary & Main (Medical Cannabis): 8801 Hampton Mall Dr N, Capitol Heights, MD 20743
No matter how you’re celebrating today, be mindful of the fact that there are people of color in prison for doing what is now legally accessible to millions of Americans. What We Water firmly believes that everyone serving sentences in prison for nonviolent marijuana related offenses should be released immediately. We stand with our Black and brown brothers and sisters in prison for cannabis. Happy 420 to you all, we hope that you utilize this information to support and uplift our communities.
