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* Jaclyn Driscoll at Illinois Public Radio has a thoughtful, balanced story today about efforts to legalize cannabis…
Back in Jan. when Gov. J.B. Pritzker gave his first budget address to a crowded room full of lawmakers, the first revenue-generating idea he mentioned for fiscal year 2020 was legalizing recreational cannabis. But, it wasn’t really about the money, he said.
“I have noted many times that I don’t view this issue through a purely financial lens,” Pritzker said. “I think we should take this action for our state because of the beneficial criminal and social justice implications and the jobs it will create.”
Revenue estimates for an adult-use program have ranged anywhere from $350 million to more than a billion dollars for the state. Even with those numbers, the lead sponsors of the legislation reiterate it’s still is not the reason why legalizing cannabis is important.
“Step one is ending prohibition, undoing the harm of the war on drugs,” state Rep. Kelly Cassidy (D-Chicago) told a public forum earlier this year. “And then, there will be revenue.”
Politicians advocating for legal marijuana haven’t wavered on this point, even through the months of negotiation to craft the legislation. But, not everyone believes it.
Teresa Haley, the president of the Springfield chapter of the NAACP, opposes legalization efforts — although she supports expunging records and releasing people from jail or prison for minor pot crimes. But, one of Haley’s main concerns is what happens after they are released.
* Tribune…
On Wednesday morning, a handful of opponents gathered outside the district office of state Sen. Emil Jones III, a leader of the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus, to push back on the idea that legalizing marijuana would benefit communities like the Roseland neighborhood on the Far South Side.
“This is not about social justice,” said Abu Edwards, national director of state affairs for Smart Approaches to Marijuana, a nonprofit organization opposing legalization. “This is about big corporations and big greed coming into communities like Chicago and opening up dispensaries in low-income African-American communities. And the African-American community is not going to benefit from it.
“If we’re going to talk about real social justice reform, then let’s separate legalization of marijuana and social justice.”
Omari Prince, field director of the Illinois chapter of Smart Approaches to Marijuana, said the group has been meeting with lawmakers in Springfield throughout the spring legislative session and is heartened that a majority of House members — including several members of the Black Caucus — have signed on as cosponsors of a resolution urging lawmakers to slow down on the issue.
“This is not a done deal,” Prince said.
* From the presser…
Michael Childress of DuPage County NAACP and Hope Pickett of @learnaboutsam getting ready to speak to small group of media in Chicago on cannabis legalization. pic.twitter.com/Q3V4zKMTS8
— Jeremy Borden (@Jeremy_Borden) April 17, 2019
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 12:38 pm
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Marijuana can’t be separated from social justice. African-Americans are disproportionately harmed by prohibition. No opposition to marijuana will stop African-Americans and others from using it. Burying heads in the sand, that things are okay now with prohibition, will just prolong this failure. Are legalization opponents okay with the history of prohibition? They must be, judging by how they want to continue it.
An argument can be made that marijuana needs to be legalized, with widespread distribution and licensing. When I was in LA recently, there were only a few recreational dispensaries. That helps leave the door wide open for black market sales. We have to stop acting in a way to make marijuana worse than it is, with such restricted sales.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 12:57 pm
Cannabis prohibition like many of our drugs laws were enacted by racist fearmongering, too bad the NAACP doesn’t understand that history.
Comment by Kentucky Bluegrass x Featherbed Bent x Northern California Sinsemilla Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 12:58 pm
Should be legalized regulated and taxed. But they are correct the usual suspects will make all the money and the poorer communities will suffer and see very little if any monetary benefit
Comment by DuPage Saint Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:16 pm
Is this really still a debate? This is going to happen, whether this session or a near-future session.
Comment by Just Observing Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:19 pm
=his is about big corporations and big greed coming into communities like Chicago and opening up dispensaries in low-income African-American communities. And the African-American community is not going to benefit from it.=
Really? I do not remember ever thinking any of those thoughts so I am positive Edwards does not know why I support legalization. I suspect most people in support of legal pot have no interest in corporations of setting up a pot shop in any other neighborhood.
Comment by JS Mill Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:26 pm
Let’s be clear, “Smart Approaches to Marijuana” is only using the Black Caucus in their effort to thwart legalization period. They have no real interest in the African-American community. Their agenda is quite clear.
Comment by TheGoodLieutenant Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:33 pm
Cannabis isn’t prohibited if a medical need… & this legislation still doesn’t allow private growing for personal use
Comment by Prohibition? Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:33 pm
==this legislation still doesn’t allow private growing for personal use==
Are you from the future? There’s no final bill yet. And every previous draft has had private grow, so…
Comment by PJ Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:42 pm
Super impressed with Jaclyn Driscoll’s reporting lately. Solid work that helps inform the public and intrigue their curiosity about important issues.
Comment by Goner Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:51 pm
==too bad the NAACP doesn’t understand that history==
Yeah, it’s frustrating that the NAACP doesn’t understand the history of racism in America /s
Comment by OutOfState Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 1:51 pm
GoodLt:
SAM isnt using NAACP to thwart legalization, they are using the NAACP to protect the profits of medical marijuana companies.
You didnt see any press conferences from the NAACP when medical Marijuana was being legalized.
Comment by Juvenal Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 2:01 pm
So aren’t black people more likely than white people to be arrested for small amounts of marijuana? And aren’t they more likely to be stuck in a jail cell because they can’t make bail? But this doesn’t help the black community?
Comment by A Jack Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 2:16 pm
Time for me to rethink, I suppose. I’ve been of the opinion that the high number of broken homes (families), in the wake of prohibition and incarceration, has contributed greatly to problems facing our black communities. If the NAACP disagrees that Tax and Regulate, Decriminalization, or whatever you choose to call it, isn’t a net win over time, offering one less way to become fined/incarcerated/felon-ized for personal use marijuana crimes and continuing to break families apart, then my opinion is kinda out the window. I have to wonder exactly what they fear from this.
And the inability to simply write a check for a license in this business, in one’s own neighborhood, (the way it’s been initially indicated) is certainly not unique to individuals of color. It’ll be a long time before this is like getting a liquor license and adding booze to your shop inventory.
Comment by XonXoff Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 2:20 pm
== SAM isnt using NAACP to thwart legalization, they are using the NAACP to protect the profits of medical marijuana companies.
You didnt see any press conferences from the NAACP when medical Marijuana was being legalized. ==
I beg to differ. SAM is a prohibitionist PAC that has “Reefer Madness”.
Comment by TheGoodLieutenant Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 2:29 pm
===SAM is a prohibitionist PAC===
No. They are fine with med-mar, which makes them a bit suspect in some eyes, as pointed out above.
Comment by Rich Miller Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 2:34 pm
S.A.M. seems to be increasingly irrelevant.
It appears to me… those opposed to re-legalizing cannabis have lost…in a steadily increasing number of states.
Those opposed to re-legalizing cannabis are in the minority…let’s not forget?
Comment by Dotnonymous Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 4:15 pm
I’ll just leave this Steppenwolf tune here, SAM.
Comment by XonXoff Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 5:05 pm
Sorry, Rich. I hosed my markup above.
I’ll just leave this Steppenwolf tune here, SAM.
Comment by XonXoff Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 5:08 pm
OK, here’s the link…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XqyGoE2Q4Y
Comment by XonXoff Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 5:20 pm
The National Office of the NAACP is calling for the feds to stop criminalizing cannabis, which raises some red
Flags.
Comment by Thomas Paine Thursday, Apr 18, 19 @ 5:49 pm