The Road to Legalizing Cannabis at the Federal Level

Published Aug 23, 2022, 7:01 AM

The cannabis industry brings in billions of dollars in legal revenue, with Big Cannabis companies leading the charge. However, cannabis offenders remain incarcerated and federal restrictions prevent them from legally benefitting from this thriving industry. BOWL PAC founder, Justin Strekal, and author of Bending the Arc: My Journey From Prison to Politics, Keeda J. Haynes, join host Roy Wood Jr. to discuss the complicated road to federal cannabis legalization.

 

Watch the Original Segment: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cCKkr2IIfVU

Hey, welcome to Beyond the Scenes, the Daily Show podcast that goes a little deeper into the segments and topics that originally aired on the show. Like if The Daily Show is the car, then this podcast is the extra bills and whistles that make you feel fancy leather interior, that screen with the GPS that pops up, heated seats and cool seats so your butt can be toasty or cold. Today, we're discussing the topic that Trevor covered on back in. That's right, we're talking about weed. That call it weed, it's cannabis. The Trump administration had a lot of pushback on legalizing cannabis federally. Despite the positive outcomes of the legalization Roger Clip support for legalizing part is at record levels, partly because Americans have started to realize that unnecessarily incarcerating people from marijuana does more harm than good, and also because it's the only way to handle all of these hot dog crusted pizzas. But even as most people are moving in that direction, unfortunately there is one very powerful little man who disagrees. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has directed federal prosecutors to re evaluate marijuana enforcement in a departure from the Obama administration, more aggressive enforcement may be coming. I reject the idea that we're going to be better place if we have more marijuana and you can just go down to the corner Drifts store and get all right, calm down, Jeff Sessions. Think of the upside, man, More people smoke marijuana, more people buy your cookies. Think about it, think about it. And and it's not just your cookies. Legalizing marijuana has already created thousands of full time jobs, and it's raised hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue, a lot of which has gone towards public schools. So you see kids, drugs all cool? Yeah. Today, I'm joined by former cannabis lobbyists and founder of the Better Organizing to Win Legalization Political Action Committee, better known as Bowl Pack, Justin Streckel. Justin, how are you doing. I'm doing great. Victory is on the horizon, but we still have a ways to get there. I love it. I love it. Let's keep fighting, justin one edible at a time. Do you have any edible that we can talk about that later? Uh. I'm also joined by the author of Bending the Ark, My Journey from Prison to politics, Keta Jay Haynes Keyta, how are you feeling today? I'm doing well. Thank you. I'm excited to be here to discuss this important topic. Well, thank you all so so much for being here. Let's dive right into it. You know, justin as a former cannabis lobbyist, just just for the layman breakdown for me and the listener's real quick. You know what's going on. You know, cannabis is legal and more states than ever, but still not on a federal leftl Like you know what if it like if you're like when your mama say you can do something, but your dad would be like, well that not seeing what I'm doing it, and you ain't sure if you're still gonna get in trouble in that, so explain to us the state legality versus the federal criminality aspect of cannabis. Well, this, that's a great question, and unfortunately a lot of people, even who work in Congress, do not understand the answer to that question. Uh, basically, let's start to showing a happy note, Justin, how about that Congress is absurd and they don't know what they're doing here. Um, you know this, this is one of those things where America, you know, the things we choose to care about and how we enforce it. Marijuana is criminalized at the federal level for all fifty states and territories for all citizens under federal law, but nineteen states, which include forty cent of Americans, have chosen to legalize it, and for all intents and purposes, the federal government isn't taking action against them. But ut for the cannabis businesses that are around the country, they're not allowed to take basic federal tax deductions. Uh for the for the banking system, these these cannabis businesses are in mostly not getting banked because banks are afraid of the sec um and the laundry list of other states, particularly in the South, that are using the ongoing federal prohibition to justify continue arresting people with state and local police. Is that why you think some states are against the legalization of cannabis Because there is a degree of profitability within the prison system that is one of the common drivers. I think that, sadly, apathy is the easiest out for politicians right now. If the status quos continuation doesn't threaten their continued election, then they're just gonna stick with the status quo and in UH, in all these states, not a single state arrests Americans and a a racially even way. Thank the a c l You put out a really terrifying but not surprising report that showed black Americans are nearly four times is likely to get arrested than white Americans despite similar consumption rights. Now with your lobbying work, you know, has it always been about your relationship with Bowl or does your advocacy did it start even before that time? Oh? Yeah, this this started in I was a legislative aid in the Virginia State Senate and I helped write the first decriminalization bill for my boss, along with the n double a CP, the A c l U, and NORMAL, And then a year later Normal recruited me to be their federal lobbyist UH and I joined the organization in October when I thought my job was gonna be very different than than what was unveiled to me. The second week of November, I thought my job at the Daily Show was going to be very different than what was unveiled to No. Normal that's the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana form of Marijuana laws, and they've been around for fifty years Keita. We're gonna talk about your book a little bit, but I first want to get your opinion. You know, before we even talk about the criminalization of cannabis and why I was criminalized in the first place, Let's talk about the portrayal of smoking. Like even at the top of the show, like, I've had to be reminded by my cannabis smoking friends that even the word weed itself was a propaganda ish word. Like, talk to us a little bit about just the portrayal of weed heads versus say, like a stoner. Yeah, I mean I think it really you know, goes along with what Justin said, you know, with the report that the a c O You released, you know, just talking about the number of African Americans that are arrested for marijuana possession versus the number of white people that are arrested for marijuana possess. And so you know, as as with anything, you know, we see that, you know, black people are criminalized, right, and so we're always going to find a reason to criminalize black people. And you know, not only would marijuana, but with all of you know what I'm saying, the drugs that they're out there. You know, I mean, we we know, you know, when we talk about you know, crack and powder cocaine. Um, you know the difference with that, you know, the way that black people are treated in the way that white people are treated. But again it is white people that is using it at a rate that higher than black people. And so that's the thing is that you know when we talk about it, because you know, we hear all of this stuff. You know, it's cannabis, you know, and everybody is you know, into the cannabis business and stuff like that. But when we were prosecuting black people for it, it was exactly what you said, it was weed, right, um, you know, because that was right exactly, you know, and it was the gateway drug and it led to you know more, you know, people using different drugs and being involved in violent crimes and all of those types of things. Now, but now that we see that white people are involved in this and it is cannabis, and white people are profiting off of this as well, um, whereas the black people cannot profit off of it, right And so you know, so there are so many different racial components when it comes you know to the criminalization of marijuana and and and again the legalization of marijuana because even in the states where it is legal, like I said, black people are not really the ones that are able to benefit from it because when you look at this state of you know, some when you look at Chicago, right, recreational uses there, but you can still be prosecuted for if you're in public housing. Well we know who lives in public housing in Chicago, right, you know, So it's all of those little different nuances. And then I think that you know, there was even some talk about the fact that you could not be involved in the cannabis business if you had, you know, felonies on your record. Well, I mean, you know, we we all knew who have felonies on their records. And you know, we can have a whole conversation today about why, um, you know, black people have felonies on their record. Right, So again, you know, even as we're talking about the legalization of marijuana, there's still this whole racial inequality there that black people are still experiencing. How then, why was it even criminalized in the first place? And this is you know, for either of you. You know, like if weed is this holistic thing that helps and year man and everything, cool man, why was it criminalized to begin with. Different people can have different opinions about it. But again, but I think as when we look at anything, when we look at anything that is criminalized, I think it all stems back to making sure that black people are gonna have convictions on their record. It's all about stripping power from black people, from black communities. And again, and we can have a whole conversation about this because once we have criminalized something and then we have associated with black people and we have associated with blackness, then there's a whole another issue. We're all coming up on mid term elections, right we know that if you have a felony on your record, then you can't vote. And right now, you know what I'm saying. Across this country, the number of people that you know that that our disenfranchise because of a felony conviction on the record is is just astounding, right And here in Mas State, in Tennessee alone, we have four hundred and fifty thous and people who came but because of that, we are number three in the country with the black people that were disenfranchising. Right, So it's bigger than just oh, well, you know, we're going to criminalize this it's it's really and truly when you start looking at it and looking at the intersectionality of all these issues, it is literally about stripping the power away from the black community. And if if I can add to that. In in the early nineteen thirties, Harry Anslinger, who was an out of work prohibitionist under alcohol prohibition, was trying to find himself a new job, and he was running around the country building up support for marijuana prohibition, and he would say things like, you know, reform makes the Negroes think they're as good as the white man, or reform makes negroes look at a white woman twice. And then he became the first director of the Federal Beer of Narcotics. That was it. That was on his I'm telling you, man, I've done the research. And when they smoked his weed, they look at white women and go, you're hired. What about even calling it marijuana, I've heard that even that that that connotation in and of itself had racist roots. Marijuana is simply the Spanish word for cannabis um And the when I think about it, you know, my my job isn't here to to tell you what to call it. My job is to change the law and the Controlled Substances Act says marijuana and it's actually spelled with an h uh. You know, it was all the inflection that was put on it when during this racist campaign to to stir up animosity against Mexican particularly Mexicans and Black Americans. Um. So, I don't care if you call it marijuana, weed, cannabis, pot, whatever, I just want to call it legal. Where do you all think the role of cannabis in media and entertainment uh fits in terms of the portrayal of it or fueling the ward Like you know, Dr Dre had an album called the Chronic and we all know when Snoop and the whole West Coast rap scene Cypress Hill. If we're even gonna go back even further than Death Row Records, where it was a lot of we smoke weed. This is what we do. It's fun, We're having a good time. How much did that play into some of the negative stereotypes And even with the films, you know, if we talk about say Friday or Pineapple Express or Harold and kumar Um, how much do you feel like those movies and music based on weed culture influenced the portrayal of of of cannabis, be it positively or negatively. And I think it definitely influenced um, you know specifically like you said, you know, when you're talking about you know, like Dr Dre and you know, in his album The Chronic and you know, and we see you know, Snoop Dogg. When you look at the lyrics of what they were singing about, you know, it's like, again, this is the criminalization of black people, the criminalization of black bodies, right, and so that is what it was associated with. And so when you associate something negative with it, then you can treat it negatively. And I mean and I think you know, we're talking about cannabis, but also to like let's look at you know, the portrayal of crack cocaine with New Jack City, right, you know, like what to what that did? You know what I'm saying, Like in the crack epidemic, like it portrayed black people they were crack heads, um, you know, and all of these things, right, and you know, when it comes to Marijuanda, they were weed heads and you know, and they sat around and they were either involved you know what I'm saying in in violent you know, activities in their neighborhood and they sat around and they did absolutely nothing. And so I mean it's it's just really this whole narrative that's associated with this. I mean, you can look at just over the history that the narrative that has been associated, you know, with with black people, whether it's black men or whether it's black women. You know, like we can talk about way Affair right like, and how that you know, had a negative connotation when it was associated with black women. But when we look at you know the history of welfare and where it all came, it was white people that were involved in this to begin with. And so it's it's all of those things, you know, we you know, if we want to criminalize something, then we will associate black people with it. But look upon keytas comments, I will say, you know, just culturally, the acknowledgement of marijuana used, be it through b through rap hip hop, or going back to the Cheech and Chong movies, and then later the just the explosion of the Internet and people being able to communicate and share memes and little clipped videos really helped give the public the opportunity to review this substance through a lens that wasn't just the government funded propaganda that was you know, like Reefer Madness, which now we just use as a colloquialism about how absurd it was, But that was a government, taxpayer funded movie to to scare white people to not use marijuana and and to stoke racial divisions. These high school boys and girls are having a hop at the local soda fountain. Innocently they dance, innocent of a new and deadly menace lurking behind closed doors, marijuana, the burning weed with its roots in Helle, that was the only lens that people had largely from you know, nineteen thirty, the beginning of criminalization through Ronald Reagan, until we really started getting to be able to access different aspects of the culture. And I think even though some of that propaganda has you know, subsided, I still think the ideology is still there, you know, to what Kita said, you know, if you want to criminalize it, attach black and brown to it. You know, like the state of Texas is a great example where I think the population of black people, but we almost like, of all the cannabis possession arrests, it's like, oh, you only find you only finding us, We're the only ones you're catching went to marijuana office and nobody, nobody else as marijuana, and so you know, that creates opportunities for people to separate, you know, families based on drug charges. And you know, the thing that's also very, very messy when you talk about drug charges is that, you know, you started talking about assets seizures and forfeitures, and then you're also able to charge anybody else. This is you know, what I really love about drug laws is that it's group possession if they wanted to be If I'm with you and you got the drugs, somehow we got the drugs and I'm like, no, they got the drugs. And I think that's also how they're able to catch up you know, family members and loved ones, and you know, that's just a whole another layer to it, which Keete I would love to talk to you a little bit more about, you know, after the break, about your journey and how women in prison, you know, and girlfriends and wives of drug offenders are also caught up in this dragnet over a drug that should have been legal the whole time in the first place. We'll do that after the break. This is beyond the scenes now, Keta I want to dive more into the story that inspired your book, because you know, we spoke with Justin you know earlier, just about his work on the activism and the lobby and side of things to get these laws changed to keep things from happening that happened to people like yourself. Now, if you could for the people who don't know and what inspired your book, how did you end up serving time for a cannabis charge? So I end up serving almost four years in federal prison UM for and the charge was actually aiding and embedding a conspiracy to distribute one hundred to four hundred kilograms of marijuana. Actually had UM seven charges, and part of those charges where the conspiracy charges, which is what you alluded to earlier. UM. And it basically says that if one person or a couple of people had marijuana, and if you associated with him, then you can be charged with that, And conspiracy can be attached to pretty much any of the you know, offenses in the federal system. So, myself, along with twenty eight other people were indicted in the Middle District of Tennessee on various different marijuana charges. UM. Everyone chose to put guilty except for me. I chose to go to chrial, chose to hold the government to its burden, and was acquitted of those charges and was found guilty of aiding and ebedting. But what a lot of people don't understand is that aiding and embedding still ties back to the underlying offense, which was a conspiracy offense. And the jury, UM was asked to determine the amount of marijuana that I was responsible for, and they checked the entire amount of the conspiracy. And so in the federal system, the amount of time that you get is based upon the amount of marijuanna that you have, and so the amount that they checked automatically carried a five year mandatory minimum. So regardless, you know, me being someone who had never had any exposure with the criminal legal system, I was already looking at five years in federal prison regardless, just because of the amount of marijuana that they checked. And you never seen, saw touched nothing. No. No, the guy that I was dating, UM, he told me that him and his family that they had some businesses in Memphis, which is about three hours here in Nashville, and UM that they had a Beeper's plush shop and that UM, no one was going to be at the store when um FedEx was going to be delivering UM the pages and cellphones and asked if I would sign my name and his cousins would come and pick it up. So all I ever did was sign my name on packages, never opened up the packages, never even saw any marijuana when they brought it into court for the jury to see. It was the first time that I saw anything that was ever alleged to have been in those packages. And that alone is enough for conspiracy charge. And there are people like that that's still sit in prison to this day on similar circumstances. Yes, that was enough. Um There was also this this part of the whole trial, because I was convicted on the fact that I should have known that there was a marijuana in the back in those boxes. Not that I actually knew, but that I should have known. How Okay, that's you know, that's that's another part of the whole criminal legal process. And I hope that you know, when people read the book, that they see that and understand that because you know, we we can be convicted on the fact that we should have known. And that was one of the Jerry instructions, is that even though I did not have direct knowledge that there were enough things that happened within this conspiracy where I should have known that there was marijuana that was in these packages. And and there are people that are so being life sentences in prison in federal prison right now over marijuana. Yeah, and worse, it could have been cocaine, and we wouldn't been talking today if we're really gonna be honest about it, right right. You mentioned also in the book that you studied criminal justice in college, and you know, and that you had a heavy interest in law, and like you even worked as a correctional officer at a point. How did your interest in the legal system help and hurt you in your case? Yeah? So how it hurt was that I remember during the trial, um, the government had subpoena like all of my school records because I was in school major and in criminal justice and psychology at the time, and I was on the dean's list, and so I had all A s and B s. And so they tried to equate to the fact that I did so well in school in these criminal justice classes again that I should have known as its detriment. Yes, yeah, and in my particular situation, and it actually was so it was that I think that they tried to use that to really hurt me. I think it helped because I didn't really walk into it as blind as most people are right to the federal system is an animal all within itself, and most people don't really know people who have had contact with the federal system because it's it's not the same misstate system. Like you don't see people that's getting probation and coming home and stuff. In the federal system, people are going away for for years and years and years and years. And so the fact that I had was studying criminal justice in particularly, had really done a lot of research on the disparities between the powder cocaine and the crack cocaine at that time, Um, you know, I kind of had an idea of what the federal system was. But even still, even with even with having a basic knowledge is still does not prepare you for all of the things that happened within within the criminal legal system, because in the one hand, you want to appear intelligent and potential that they believe. Even then on the other hand, if you're too smart, then old Lord Jesus, that's going And then also probably didn't help that you was a black woman. No, it actually, Um, it did not help that I was a black woman. And it's interesting because my judge was a white female who was a Clinton appointee, and she, you know, parades herself as being progressive and white women and that label progressive. There's another conversation another day as far as I'm concerned, Um, but you know, she told me that any person of my intelligence should have known that I was dealing with something highly illegal and that I was lucky to have been acquitted of all of the other charges. And so you know, she talked to me in a manner as if you know, I was this black person and I had these advantages that black people normally don't have, and how dare I end up in front of her courtroom? Because you know, talk about this in a book. There was a white female who was addicted to drugs. She robbed a bank and she got less time than I did. And you definitely we know when you robbed in a bank, Oh absolutely, that one that when you were extremely aware of Now justin I know that you would also in your past when you were younger, got arrested for smoking cannabis. Walked me through your journey through the federal correction system. It wasn't a federal charge. It was it was a local charge. Uh, and I did not. Um. I got arrested with my best friend. We were out camping and they got us with underage alcohol and we watched sitting handcuff for forty five minutes as they searched the campsite for cannabis. We saw these rangers on their hands and knees with flashlights in the middle of the night searching for for pot. And when we went to the judge, uh, same charge. You know, they didn't find any any marijuana. We had thrown it into the fire. Um. I got forty hours of community service and court costs, and my friend and got a five fine, a year of probation, a year of drug testing that he had to pay for, He had to go to alcoholic and drug addicts classes that he had to pay for. And I'm sure I don't need to tell you the difference between myself and my friend. Um. So that was that was what opened my eyes first hand, in in a front row seat, to the racial disparity that that our criminal legal system inflicts on people who don't look like me. Okay, so then to that disparity point. Then key to talk a little bit about like the lawyer side of it, you know, because sometimes you're only as lucky as you are your lawyer is competent. Uh, talk a little bit about the role that lawyers sometimes play in the mystery of this, because everyone isn't like yourself, where they already had an interest in criminal justice, they already had the ability and the the the mental capacity to process and understand the law in the way that they could educate themselves why they're incarcerated, to work on their retrial, to to work on their appeal. So talk a little bit about the report of a lawyer, and did and the role that a lawyer played. Did a lawyer play a role? And everything turning out I want to say, better for you, but not being as bad as it could have been. Right, it definitely was not as bad as it could have been. Um, you know, I was blessed we were able to actually hire a lawyer, so I didn't have a federal public defender. And so I talked about this in the book where the women felt as if their lawyers didn't do anything for them, that their lawyers just you know, had them to take a plea and you know, and they were pleading to ten fifteen, twenty years right, Um, and just felt as if their lawyers didn't care. Their lawyers did listen to them. And so I had a completely different experience with my lawyer, which you know, it was one of the reasons why I decided that I wanted to become a public defender, because I wanted to be able to provide the same level of representation that he provided me being a lawyer that we paid. I wanted to provide that same level of representation to people who cannot have worded because I had heard the stories from the women in prison. And so when I was working as a public offender here in Nashville, UM, you know, I I took the I took the government to task, right like when it came to that. UM. I specifically remember one of the d as she offered. I had two clients and they both had the same drugs, um everything, And she offered my white client drug treatment and offered my black client to just plead guilty to this charge and to pay a fine and this stuff and up. And I said, well wait a minute, I was just like, you offered Mr such and such, You know, to go to drug treatment and to have the opportunity to have this removed from their record if they completed. But you offered you know, Mr such and such here, you know, to plead to this I have a felony on their record and to just pay this fine. I said, you know, what's what's the difference, And she was just like, well, I mean, does Mr such and such the one that she offered the fine two was a black man? She was like, what does he even want drug treatment? So again, you know, so I was very cognizant of this, and I would call them mouth on and I'm just like, so you need to tell me that you see the value in my white clients lie where you're giving him the opportunity to have this six months off his record so it doesn't follow him the rest of his life. But you don't see that same value in my black line because you just assume that black people don't won't treatment, that black people are just out here just doing drugs simply because that's just what they do and they don't care what as white people just like, oh, well, you know, it's a problem, you know, And it's the same thing, you know, when we look at you know, the crack cocaine and the powder cocaine, you know, and and opiois you know, now it's a whole it's a whole epidemic, and we want to get people treatment. But when black people, you know, we're using drugs, and we wanted to criminalize it. And and it is the very same thing with every single right, It's the very same thing with marijuana. Is that And and it just just really really boils down to the simple fact that in this system, we do not see the humanity and the dignity in the black and brown bodies that are coming in this system in the same manner that we see the dignity and the redemption in the white people that's coming through the criminal legal system. After the break, let's talk solutions. Let's talk solutions, Justin and Keid. I want to also find out from you, what are some ways that people who are in a similar situation like yourself can help themselves. While people like Justin try to fix the system, what can you do to help yourself within the existing broken system that we're in. This is beyond the scenes. We'll be right back on beyond the scenes. We are back and we are talking cannabis and just the different ways that the government is figured out of what you got to give it up to the government. Boy, they's some slick ones. They know how to make something legal and then make you pay for it, even then turn around and profit from it. We're gonna get to that in a second, but first, justin I know that you have been on the right side of this issue and fighting with political action committees to try and get the cannabis laws changed in this country. What is the government doing right now? Have you are politician in your assessment? Just just let's just go off the only twenty two in your assessment. Do you feel like anybody in Washington has heard your cries you and keep his cries about the need to change some of the cannabis laws. And and I am very pleased to report that there has already been a bill that has passed now twice in the House of Representatives called the Marijuana Opportunity, Reinvestment and Expungement Act or the MORE Act, which would in a comprehensive way and marijuana prohibition and his criminalization address federal convictions through an automatic resentencing and and release system. So you know, those who are still incarcerated as Keto was for a federal crime would get relief as well as fund state level and local level expungement programs and what's known as social equity licensing structures to assist uh those who have been impacted by the War on drugs to get into a legal industry. But that's only the House. And I know, Roy, you talk a lot about the dysfunction in the Senate, and and that applies to marijuana as well. Um I am. I am truly of the belief that if if they held a closed door session just up or down do we continue marijuana prohibition, that that at least sixty senators in the Senate would say no. But given the the that's not how the Senate works, And given Mitch McConnell's absolute seeming glee at the prospect of young, poor people getting arrested for marijuana and his iron gripped ruling of his Republican caucus, it's very difficult to see how we get to sixty votes given the legislative filibuster. Okay, So then with that being said, you decide to found the bullpack, you leave, you leave normal, and then you create a whole new pack. And you go, all right, we gotta get this straight. At the federal level, what inspired that change? And how does the bulpet how do you fight cannabis at the federal level. So one of the things that I've thought about a whole lot in the last few years when I was still at normal. Corey Gardner was running for re election and he was a big champion of of the Safe Banking Act, so essentially to legalize the profits of the sale of licensed marijuana companies, but not the people who consume it. And you know, and I'm in favor of the Safe Banking Act as an incremental measure. But uh, he he was defeated in in his his effort to be re elected by hicken Looper. Uh Senator Hick, excuse me. And the Republican narrative in the Senate caucus is, you know, marijuana didn't save Corey. And I think that's entirely disingenuous argument. I think that if Jesus Christ himself came second, came to Colorado and told every voter to vote for Corey Gardner, he still would have lost. It had nothing to do with marijuana. Uh. So, my hope is with the bullpack working with allies UM to help unseat Republican prohibitionists in the United States Senate, and we're particularly looking at states like Wisconsin, Pennsylvania, Ohio, UM and possibly will expand the map depending on how how our resources go. But I think if we can flip that mentality that UH continuing to support marijuana criminalization can contribute to a Republican electoral defeat, then that will help motivate more Republicans to realize that it's time to as centered. Why didn't keep saying it? Get with the program? Justin? Can I recommend that you all like focus on Tennessee so that we can get rid of more shall blackburn and that will help tremendously. You and I should talk after this offline about about what's going on in Tennessee. I'd love to if there's a pathway to do it and I can help absolutely keep it. Then how what are some ways you know you've spoken to last break about it's a public defender, being an advocate for your clients who may not necessarily know all of the different avenues that are available to them, because you know, especially as black people, you know we're talking, you know, just take whatever they offer you just take the deal, don't don't fight it DA And then when you get out of jail, you are dealing with You're dealing with the society that treats you like you have a scarlet letter, and you're dealing with people who will make who will assume you to be what you were and never see you for what you could possibly be. What are some of the ways that people who have been negatively affected by this war on cannabis were the ways that they can benefit from the industry today. So you know, you're exactly right, because when you do leave person, there is a host of collateral consequences that that we deal with. It's simply because of this right UM. You know where it comes to finding jobs, where it comes to housing and those types of things. But I think that it is important to have our voices heard when we're talking about any of this cann of legislation right and what should be done? And so I work at two different organizations, like locally and on the national level and UM. Locally is an organization called Free Hearts and UM. It is an organization that is run by directly impact to women. So everyone that is employed there has been directly impacted whether it has been themselves or family, family member and so. And we make sure that that our voices are heard when it comes to the variosif in local legislation, and then on the National Council UM, the National Council for Incarcerated formally Incarcerated Girls and Women. That is one of the main things that we do is that we make sure that directly impacted women and our voices are heard when it comes to any type of legislation that is going to be beneficial for us. And so, you know, that is the thing that I would suggest that people do, is that people really get involved because there are no representatives who have um any type of directly you know, experience when it comes to the criminal legal system, which is one of the reasons why I chose to run for Congress, right because again, you know, we have people that are making these laws, but they are not impacted by them. And so you know, we definitely need people who understand the issue, people who have been there, people who can say, no, this may sound good, but when we actually look at this, this is going to be harmful. And this is the reason why, right, you know, like if we add this end, this is going to negatively impact to black and brown communities. Right. And so even though why we may have some legislation that looks good on the front end, if we start to really peel it back and really look at what it's going to do, is it going to be beneficial for everyone? Right? And so I think it's really important that those of us that have expensed a criminal legal system, that we are on the forefront of this, that it is our voices that are heard, and we have the same within our you know, community, those that those of us that are closest to the problem are further from the resources, right. Because it's one thing to draft this legislation, but when you're drafting in and you don't have someone who is directly impacted at the table, then there's a voice that's missing. And so, you know, I would say to all of the organizations that are involved in any type of legislation, you know, particularly to legalize cannabis, is that if you who don't have directly impacted people at the table, then you need to get him. And I'm really excited, you know, for years now, we've been working with the Marijuana Justice Coalition, which was convened by the Drunk Policy Alliance and includes the National Council for Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls as well as just Leadership USA, which is another similarly uh you know, all led by formerly incarcerated people UM and and they were a part of that critical coalition that worked with Chairman Jerry Nadler's office to draft the MORE Act. And you know, it also included the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights and the a c l U, among others. And you know it it took through the Marijuana Justice Coalition. We brought all these actors together and we uh, you know, right now we're going through the Cannabis Administration and an Opportunity Act, which was just introduced by UH Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer along with Senators Corey Booker and Ron Widen to make sure that we're hearing from all of the stakeholders before we come out with what kind of technical improvements we're going to be recommending, you know, a full throated endorsement and a full lobbying strategy. You know, we're at this precipice where depending on how pointedly we try to be proactive in reparative justice, it's not just gonna matter for the day after the legislation is going to assigned, but it's going to be a sea change compared to where we would be fifty years from now. And there's three critical components in my view of what is often just referred to as a catch all under social equity, and it needs to be both the criminal legal reform. So how is it that we're going to end the criminalization and make sure that we don't allow those who have been harmed be it through maintaining those criminal records. Uh, marijuana charges are one of the leading causes of deportation in this country. Um to you know to um two public benefits to everything as well as the second bucket is licensing for those who have been impacted or benefiting those who live in communities that have seen the criminalization of marijuana be used as that entry point by law enforcement who is essentially treating a community like an occupied zone. And then the third part is is actually like and this is what I fear doesn't get discussed enough, which is actual just direct economic reparations for those who have had their lives impacted or been incarcerated as a result of a marijuana charge. Evanston, Illinois is the first to my knowledge that that implemented a local ordinance. And I really hope and I'm inspired that we see that percolating more around the country. What Evanson did and and and I may be a little bit off in my characterization of it, but they made sure that they were going to set up side a portion of the cannabis revenue that was generated by taxes in the local sales UH to be specifically earmarked to go to those who have been arrested UM in Evans who live in Evanston, to help them by by homes or to pay off their mortgages, or to be rental assistance UM. So direct support for the impacted individuals in a perpetual, forward thinking, meaningful way, you know, being a person that is impacted you know by you know this whole cannabis marijuana. Um I still have a conviction on my record today. So for all of the people that are able to profit off of marijana, those that are able to smoke it freely, like you know, there's this whole thing. You know, it really bothers me, right, you know, to hear people talk about it so freely, because you know, here I am someone who literally experienced all of those things that Justin just said, like all the hosts of collateral consequences associated with the marijuana conviction. But yeah, when I go to Denver, Colorado, when I'm sitting us on a patio eating it, I see white people walking past me smoking it freely, you know, people talking about you know, edibles freely here. But but yet here I am with being treated as a second class citizen for something that people are doing freely and legally now and selling legally, which you also can't do dependent on this state. Most if I could just one, I would want to put a fine point on this when we talk about expungements of records and and and ceilings or whatever it is that the local jurisdiction determines, it absolutely needs to be demanded that it is automatic. Too often we see city councils or state legislatures or even federal representatives trying to equate a new petition based process, um as if that's going to make justice raindown for like manna from heaven, it's just an asking for permission. You're you're still asking for permission. And too often people won't even know about that new program, or if they do know about it, they're being expected to navigate a very complicated judicial bureaucracy. And that's why, you know, we're really pleased to see in the new bill by by Senate Leader Schumer UH that it would be an automatic process and that those who had convictions would be required to have those uh released and be notified. Being notified is an important thing too, just because you had an expungement, if you don't know it, you're still checking that box. Um. So those things need to work in harmony in order to make sure that people can no longer be harmed going forward. And one final thing, not only that it be automatic, but that it be retroactive. Yes, because if it if it goes into effect today, and if it passes and it goes into effect you know whenever, if it's not retroactive, I don't receive the benefit from him, right, you know, because we're talking about you know, my conviction that is from you know, two thousand and two. Right, So not only that it be automatic, but also that it be made retroactive. Well, I feel like, you know, I asked you all for solutions and you present it not more problems that also needs solutions to this issue, And I'm gonna ask you about a tenth one. And I hate to ask you, but I got to because we we had we got to get to the bottom of this. This is like a nine front war that you all are waging, the two of you. What role do the companies that have already benefited from the legalization of marijuana, who are now lobbying to keep it illegal federally so that it doesn't cut into the profits play in keeping marijuana sales licenses out of the hands of so many people who deserve them. That is a billion dollar question currently, It's gonna be a forty five billion dollar question in a couple of years. Uh, it's projected to by um and it's going to be a multi trillion conversation in in just decades. Unfortunately, marijuana reform is not going to escape the same kind of legislative capture that we see in every other aspect of American style capitalism. And you know, I know some of the lobbyists from the marijuana industry, who are you know, just beating the drum about how, no, we need to be incremental in this, We need to be incremental in this. We we can't go too far too fast, And they're they're glossing it up to make it seem like they're earnestly trying to get things done. But for every day that goes by that we don't see comprehensive reform. We see the entrenchment of the state siloed marketplaces because, unlike any other consumer good, it is illegal to have interstate commerce on marijuana because of federal prohibition. And in some states like Pennsylvania or Florida, among others, we see a hyper limited number of licenses that are allowed, and you know, fifty thou dollar nonrefundable application fee in West Virginia, for example, just for the right to be considered for a license, not to get it, not not not a pre approval, just to be considered um. And it really is just doubling down on the class war that that is inflicted or just infected in so much of of American society. So we talked about the role that you know, the media is played in influencing public perception of cannabis. What can we do to change the political perception of it when you're talking about politicians who I'm old school and I'm Christian values. I just want to make sure that we're doing it right. How do you change the minds of those people, Keita, How do you get elected officials to just be honest, to just be real and just go it's not that bad. I mean, I have Christian values, right, but I mean what does that mean? I would say that what some of these Republicans call Christian values are not Christian values at all, right, Um, And so I think we, you know, we need to start breaking these things down, and we need to start calling these things out. But also too, we've got to change the narrative um around these things because again, you know, we talked earlier in the show about the you know who is associated with this marijuana and with cannabis, right, And so I think, you know, we need to start changing the narrative around that and say, you know, like this is happening to everyday average people, right, like myself, someone who's never been involved in the criminal egal system. And if this can happen to me, this can also happen to you. And so I think that, you know, it all comes down to seeing the humanity and people, right, because you know, when we look at you know, Dr Dre and Snoop Dogg, you know, Miss McConnell is going to be like, I ain't got nothing in common with him, right, But when you start to bring in you know, um, Mr Mitchell, you know what I'm saying, who is serving you know, fifteen years in prison? You know what I'm saying for cannabis? And he's a Republican right, um? You know. And then when you start to break those down, then it's just like, oh, well, you know what, this really could be me and then you start to see the humanity And it's unfortunate that we have to do that for you to for people to even see the humanity is that you know, I'm a human being. Why can't you just see the humanity in me just as a person. But we know that that doesn't work, and so that is a lot of the things that we have been doing is that, you know, we when we are advocating for legislation, we are bringing in people that look like them and say, hey, you know what, I'm harmed about this too. And then that's when they take a step back and they look at this and the it's like, oh, you know what, maybe we do need to start changing some things, right. And that's why I say, you know, this change is going to come about from the ground, right, that's a that's a whole movement thing, that's a whole organizing thing, right, And so it's gonna come about from the ground up, like you know, it's not going to come from the top down, like we've seen that, right. And if we're waiting for anything to happen from the top down, it is not going to happen. Change is going to come about by the movement, like we look at like movements that have taken place all across this country. You know, I'm saying over the past, you know, fifty sixty years, that changes come from the ground right, like the organized and you know what I'm saying through from everybody all across the country coming together, that is what is going to that that is what it is going to fuel the change. And and we're starting to see this, you know, where people from different backgrounds, people you know what I'm saying, you know, from different classes, you know, people are coming together around these issues and saying, you know what, we won't change, and then they are pushing their representatives, their legislators, legislators, um, you know, for this particular change. And so I just believe, you know, particularly being someone who is part of this movement that that is where the change is going to come from. Justin how much is promoting medicinal marijuana help in your efforts to get people on board just a little bit and then get them to look at the broader issue as a whole. Or have we exhausted medicinal marijuana as an entry point into this conversation? Uh, it's it's certainly a great entry point on the escalator of radicalization as I like to refer to it um depending on the lawmaker, right. And this is one of the those areas where you know, you have to know your audience, particularly with you know, amongst the veterans community. Right now, a v A doctor would be fired if they are practicing within a state that has a medical marijuana program, of which there are thirty nine. Uh, if they fill out that state legal form. And that's because they're a federal employee. So there there's an amendment. It's been championed by Representatives ere Al Blumenaur and Barbara Lee, who are the co chairs of the Congressional Cannabis Caucus in the House, to make that small change, and we just got it approved um to be as part of the n d A A just you know, just back in July. So it's those kind of things that where we can open hearts and minds to look at it from a different angle, um, that can help just break open the head, if you will. And if I can add one one point to Keita's last point, which I thought is phenomenal and change comes from the ground up. There's an organization Supernova Women that is all women of color lad there. They started in Oakland and now they're they're really you know, spreading around the country inspiring more people. And they put out a new report at the beginning of this year that showed that for every one dollar invested in their social equity licensing system and small businesses, it yielded a hundred and twenty return on investment in the locality just in creating and supporting small businesses. And then when they looked at the numbers from a different lens, for every one dollar of the revenue invested yielded when you include educational support, re entry services, job training, placement, expungement assistance, etcetera, it yielded four hundred and fifty six percent return on investment for every one dollar spent um. So you know, right now Supernova. Women's trying to make sure everybody's seeing this report, seeing the data, and and hopefully Oakland can be a good example for localities around the country how to do a better job of prioritizing local ownership and diversely reflective ownership and communities everywhere. Well, Justin Strokel from the Bullpack, thank you so much. And Keita, the book is bending the ark my journey from prison to politics. I cannot thank you all enough for going beyond the scenes with me. Thank you so very much. Thank you. Listen to the Daily Show Beyond the Scenes on Apple podcast, the I Heart Radio app, or wherever you get your podcasts. H

Beyond the Scenes from The Daily Show

Imagine The Daily Show, but deeper. Host Roy Wood Jr. dives further into segments and topics covered 
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