California governor believes cannabis consumption is a civil rights matter

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The Golden State has always been a pioneer on protecting personal rights

Following up on the widespread protests of police brutality that began with the death of George Floyd at the hands of the police, California Governor Gavin Newsom gave a press conference last week. He referred to California’s plans to fix issues of injustice and racism coming deep-rooted in the system. He spoke about efforts made by the state to have new policies to roll back the consequences of the War on Drugs. These changes include the rollback of mandatory-minimum sentencing and the disparity between prosecuting crack vs. cocaine drug possession.

One of the most determining moments for criminal justice reform, according to Newson, was the legalization of marijuana in recent years, describing it as a “civil rights” issue. “That’s why the state was one of the early adopters of a new approach as it relates to cannabis reform—legalization around adult-use of marijuana,” Newsom said. “It was a civil rights call from our perspective.” The governor continued, “I was proud to be out in front in those efforts,” he continued. “It was about addressing the disparities. It was about addressing incarceration. It was about addressing the ills of this war on drugs.”

The fight against criminal injustice is not over, according to Newsom. There is still criticism around the actual cannabis legislation and how it is connected to the police. As per the approved Adult Use of Marijuana Act states, 20% of the total tax revenue coming from that act is going to boost police efforts. This legislation brings around $1 billion in tax revenue, so at least $200 million is being allocated to the police, according to Forbes.