Hello my dearest readers, this week we are going to talk about black lives and why they matter and how cannabis relates to this topic. This is a topic I am very compassionate about. As I get older and I become aware of the world around me, I am finding my purpose and that is to educate, protect, and advance the people around me.

This isn’t just going to speak on the BLM movement, but more so on police brutality across the board, and the systemic racism that has broken many families.

Did You Know?

• Between 1980 and 2015, the number of people incarcerated in America increased from 500,000 to over 2.2 million.
•  The United States makes up about 5% of the world’s population, and has 21% of the world’s prisoners.
• According to the naacp, in 2014, African-Americans constituted 2.3 million, or 34% of the total 6.8 million correctional population.
• African-Americans are incarcerated 5 times more than the rate of whites.
• The imprisonment rate for African-American women is twice than that of white women.
• Nationwide, 32% of African-American children are arrested; 42% are detained, and 52% of their cases  get waived to criminal court.
• African-Americans and Hispanics make up about 32% of the population in the United States, but compromised 56% incarcerated. 
• African-Americans and whites use recreational drugs at similar rates, but African-Americans are 6 times more likely to be charged.
•  African-Americans represent 12% of drug users, but 29% will be arrested for those drugs, and 33% will be incarcerated in state facilities for those drug offenses.
• African-Americans are 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than other races. 24% of all police killings were of African-Americans. 
• African-Americans make up 13% of  the population of the United States.

Racial Inequality + Cannabis

African-Americans (Descendants of Moors is also a name I am learning about) are more likely to be targeted while driving and also are more targeted for their vehicles to be searched. I would attach the search laws for the different states, but we would be here all day (I might though). While we are more likely to be targeted, we also are more likely to go to jail and charged with disorderly persons for carrying under 50 grams.

African Americans are largely incarcerated for marijuana. Then, when these people are released, they have to fight for it to be expunged from their record. That process is extremely difficult to do, and it can alter the rest of their lives. For example, any weed charge can stop someone for getting financial aid, approved for certain loans, and many more. There are many people currently serving life sentences for nonviolent marijuana charges. Imagine.

Black Lives Matter: Know Their Names

George Floyd. Breonna Taylor. Atatiana Jefferson. Aura Rosser. Stephon Clark. Botham Jean. Philando Castille. Alton Sterling. Michelle Cusseaux. Freddie Gray. Janisha Fonville. Eric Garner. Akai Gurley. Gabriella Nevarez. Tamir Rice. Michael Brown. Tanisha Anderson. Sean Monterrosa. Jamel Floyd. Ezell Ford. Eric Harris. Mya Hall. David MCatte. Keith Lamont Scott. Frank Smart. Jerame Reid. Laquan McDonald. Dante PArker. Tony Robinson. Walter Scott. George M. Anthony Hill. Phillip White. Salvado Ellswood. Jonathan Sanders. Sandra Bland.

That’s just to name a few people that were murdered at the hands of police officers for reasons that could’ve been deescalated and saving a life instead of taking it.

Protests

So you may know that I am somewhat of an activist myself (stand for something or fall for anything) I was at the protest for BLM and Geroge Floyd in my city of Trenton, New Jersey. It was beautiful to see the city come out and protest peacefully (until later that night) and to see our youth in the streets fighting for what is right. Something I noticed around me was, a majority of the people were rolling up. Cannabis was very much present so there’s that to the people that say weed makes you lazy! (Ha!)

Final

There’s so many things I can say. So many things I can write about. So many things that hurt. I am no longer angry, as an Afro-American woman, I am fatigued and saddened. As you read this piece, I want you to personally think about what you can do to end police brutality, when you can vote ( please register to vote), be aware of when your state is passing bills in regards to marijuana reform, and please please please gather as much attention as you can to giving out knowledge on prisoners serving harsh sentences for non violent marijuana crimes. 

Here are some cool pages to follow on Instagram in order to learn how to support BLM and other charities against police brutality:

• @naacp
• @cocoabutter

Also check out www.disa.com to find out your state laws on marijuana.

End police brutality.

Stand for something or fall for anything. Stay safe, stay high, stay protected, and awoken,

Big Mel