The year 2014 has seen several significant drug policy reform milestones. And today marks a major historical anniversary in the nation’s efforts toward eliminating discriminatory practices from government policy, and bringing hope to communities of color nationwide.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the implementation of the Civil Rights Act. The embodiment of this hope was captured with the release of the critically acclaimed Sam Cooke single, “A Change is Gonna Come.”
Collectively, as we reflect on the efforts of the last 50 years, it is clear that efforts to eliminate discrimination have come a long way. It also is clear that in spite of the progress made, there are areas where more work needs to be done. The United States Supreme Court decision in Shelby v. Holder, which effectively eliminates the pre-clearance requirement for changes to voting rules in states which have a history of discriminatory voting practices, is probably the most prominent example in the public consciousness.
However, there exists a more insidious and systematic affront to the virtues of civil rights which results in millions of Americans being denied the right to vote, to serve on juries, and to be free of legal discrimination in employment, housing, access to education and public benefits. Such is the nature of the system of mass incarceration in American society today.
An opportunity to eliminate some of the inputs to this system is emerging through the implementation of various drug reform policies nationwide, and nowhere is that picture clearer than in the case of marijuana policy. Consider for a moment the results of an ACLU report, “The War on Marijuana in Black and White,” which reveals that in America, Blacks are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession despite equal usage across race.
By Dr. Malik Burnett
Read the full story at drugpolicy.org
