With so many industries at a complete or partial shutdown and nearly 18 million Americans out of work, it’s time for the United States to begin examining potential economies of scope rather than scale. One potentially lucrative new revenue stream? Legal marijuana.
The event is “Reimagining Justice,” a three-and-a-half-hour live-steam event focusing on cannabis and racial justice reform, and scheduled for Wednesday, 1 to 4:30 p.m. E.D.T. The conference is being sponsored by the Marijuana Policy Project and is available for registration as well as viewable on MPP’s Facebook Live.
"The position on cannabis policy put forth by the Biden-Sanders Unity Task Force is disappointing but not surprising. Joe Biden has been out of touch with the strong majority of Americans who support legalization," Violet Cavendish, communications manager at the Marijuana Policy Project, told Newsweek.
"Consumers choose to grow their own or purchase from unregulated sources," said Matt Simon, New England Political Director for the Marijuana Policy Project. "This won't change until more patients and consumers begin to believe that licensed retailers are their best option for obtaining cannabis."
"We are privileged to have the opportunity to partner with MPP and to raise significant money to aid in legalization and decriminalization efforts nationwide." — Jim Turner, Managing Director, Kannabis Kings Apparel LLC
Cannabis-related measures can help reform racial disparities in the criminal justice system, Karen O’Keefe, Marijuana Policy Project’s Director of State Policies, said. They can also generate much-needed tax revenue and jobs. “It fits into both of the major issues the country is grappling with,” she said.
“The mood is jubilant. People are very happy with the numbers we’re turning in,” Jared Moffat, Campaigns Coordinator at the Marijuana Policy Project, which has played a major role in the Nebraska campaign, told Leafly. “There’s obviously a lot more work to do, but it’s a great day to take stock in how far we’ve come.”
“Marijuana prohibition has historically targeted people of color and minorities and disproportionately affected them,” said Violet Cavendish, spokesperson for the Marijuana Policy Project, an advocacy group. “But I think it’s important to acknowledge this and not completely erase the term marijuana, because then doing so erases the history behind it and it’s easier to move on without understanding that policies have been using this word to target minorities.”
"I don’t think we should assume the opposition is just going to let this go through without challenges, but I’m still pretty confident that we’re going to make it," Jared Moffat, MPP's campaigns coordinator, told Cannabis Wire.