During the tough financial times of COVID, many states are turning to legal or medical cannabis to boost the economy and repair the damage done by the war on drugs. The North Carolina Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice would like to see its home state follow suit in embracing the newly emerging industry.
The task force was first called by Governor Roy Cooper, who knows that the South currently has two problems to deal with in light of 2020 events: racial tension and economic hardships. Therefore, the governor used Executive Order 145 this summer to call a task force to look for solutions to the issues minorities face when it comes to daily discrimination and the legal system. This recommendation has the added bonus of seriously boosting the economy as well.
The recommendations touch on several ideas, including decriminalizing possession of cannabis. Because there were so many charges and convictions of people of color, 31,287 charges in 2019 for those who just had half ounces, to be exact, this would majorly help with social equity and ending discrimination and the war on drugs. It could also lead the way for a legal industry to spring forth in the future.
Currently, North Carolina allows CBD for medical use in some cases, but really doesn’t have much of a medical program, and absolutely no recreational legality. Like most of the South, the state has remained far away from legalizing cannabis or discussion of legalization. Now, however, the tide is starting to turn, with nearby states like South Carolina and Virginia discussing moves towards legalization, and lots of Northern East Coast states already embracing it.
Read More