9/14/2024 Where is cannabis enforcement now

Marijuana prohibition has always been about money and control. Governments around the world have never had a valid reason to criminalize cannabis and arrest its citizens . Unlike other illicit street drugs, there’s never been a true “smoking gun” that justifies cannabis being illegal. Much of the research points to the Nixon administration’s racist motives, where the so-called “War on Drugs” was, in fact, a war on minorities, poor white people, and the hippie counterculture.

Let’s start with New York State, arguably one of the most progressive places in the United States. Articles about cannabis enforcement read like this-

Rockland New York Smoke Shop Owner and Workers Plead Guilty to Tax Fraud for Unlicensed Pot Sales

Today, the message is clear: “Give us the tax money, don’t sell cannabis products to underage people, and, most importantly, get a license so we can ensure your products are safe and free from dangerous chemicals or street drugs like fentanyl.”gone are the long prison sentences for selling cannabis and this needs to stay like this.

In New York, cannabis enforcement has shifted from being a criminal issue to a tax and compliance matter. This is a monumental change, one that I personally applaud. I remember when, in 2004, I was caught with 700 pounds of cannabis. The federal government indicted me, and I spent eight years in federal prison. Fast forward to 2024, and while losing money hurts, it’s nothing compared to losing your freedom. The consequences of incarceration are devastating, and I would never trade eight years of my life for any amount of money.

Cannabis Prohibition in Republican States

Now, let’s take a look at the more conservative states, where cannabis is still prosecuted to the fullest extent. Well, not exactly—if you’re wealthy and have access to a label printer, you can slap “THCA” on your products and likely avoid trouble. This loophole exists because the same people who oppose cannabis legalization are fine with hemp labeled products flooding the market.

Take Mitch McConnell, for example, who recently celebrated at a Kentucky hemp company how happy he is about hemp. Thanks to the Mitch McConnell and the Republican-led Farm Bill, hemp-derived products like Delta-8, Delta-9, HHC, and other lab-manipulated compounds are now circulating across the country. The proble even to true stoners like myself these are far from the natural cannabis people have used for decades—they’re chemically altered and potentially dangerous.

These products are considered legal only when they come with the proper, often “fake,” lab reports or Certificates of Analysis (COA). So, who gets punished when those COAs are missing or falsified? Poor people and minorities—those without the resources to navigate the complex legal landscape set by Republican legislators.

The Problem with the Hemp Pathway

Another major issue with the Republican-led push for hemp is the severe punishment still meted out in conservative states for traditional cannabis possession. Legalizing cannabis in republican states through hemp or state-guided recreational and medical programs never seems to include social justice measures for those with prior cannabis-related felonies. It disproportionately benefits wealthy companies and leaves behind the very communities harmed by the War on Drugs.

The Right Path Forward

In my opinion, the Democrats have the right approach to legalizing cannabis, but there’s still work to be done. The policy should be simple:

• Legalize cannabis, tax it, and reinvest in the communities devastated by prohibition.

• Never arrest anyone for cannabis offenses I don’t care how much cannabis or what the situation is the only this that should be illegal is selling miss labeled products and under 21 years old . Instead, levy fines and compliance assessments, just like New York is doing.