"When New York legalized cannabis, it was hailed as a historic shift. Headlines celebrated an overdue end to prohibition and the chance to repair decades of criminalization that devastated Black and Brown communities. Yet for those who lived through the era of the "War on Drugs," legalization is not simply a victory. It sparks a deeper, more pressing question: what does justice look like in a legal cannabis economy, and who is truly benefiting?"
"Terrence Coffie, Executive Director of the Cannabis Justice & Equity Initiative (CJEI), has lived these questions. His leadership and advocacy aim to ensure that the very communities most harmed by prohibition are not left out of New York's new cannabis industry. The challenge is immense, with billions projected to be generated in revenue. The uncomfortable reality remains: the people most targeted by enforcement are still too often excluded from opportunity."
"The Office of Cannabis Management (OCM) has taken meaningful steps to promote equity. Two key initiatives are often spotlighted: CAURD Licensing (Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary): This program gave priority to individuals with prior cannabis convictions or their immediate family members. For many, it represented recognition that those most impacted deserved a head start. Expungement of Past Convictions: New York also committed to clearing certain cannabis convictions, removing barriers to housing, education, and employment that had locked people out of opportunities for decades."
New York legalized cannabis amid celebrations of ending prohibition and repairing decades of criminalization that devastated Black and Brown communities. The change raises questions about what justice looks like in a legal cannabis economy and who benefits. Terrence Coffie, Executive Director of the Cannabis Justice & Equity Initiative (CJEI), leads advocacy to ensure communities most harmed by prohibition access opportunities in the new industry. The Office of Cannabis Management created CAURD licensing and committed to expungement of certain cannabis convictions. Those measures provided relief for some, but an estimated 95 percent of people harmed by prohibition do not qualify, leaving most excluded.
Read at stupidDOPE | Est. 2008
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