Decriminalization of Marijuana
The racism that was and is a core part of criminalized marijuana now threatens to reappear during the phase of decriminalization. The burgeoning business of growing marijuana raises the specter of corporate agriculture with its threats to human health and ecosystems. The Green Party of St. Louis proposes to overcome these strongly linked problems by compensating victims and requiring organic production of marijuana. Since federal law classifies marijuana as a narcotic there are no federal guidelines for growing it. This makes it tempting to demand that it be declassified and brought under the auspices of bodies like the Environmental Protection Agency. The problem is that federal and state bodies are controlled by corporate powers seeking the weakest standards possible. Goals should instead be stated to counter racism and have genuine environmental protection with real researched (not fake) organic standards. 1. Repairs must begin with an apology which acknowledges that criminalization of marijuana was a part of a greater attack which used drug law enforcement as one of many weapons to destroy communities of color, stifle peoples’ political and cultural movements, and cause suffering for an enormous number of individuals. 2. Communities affected by criminalization of marijuana and the larger attack upon them should decide what restitution they should receive to rebuild those communities. 3. All those who remain incarcerated for marijuana-related must be released immediately and their records must be expunged. 4. Individuals harmed by marijuana criminalization should receive financial compensation for any arrest, trial, incarceration and post-incarceration damages such as difficulty finding a job. 5. Those who have been arrested for possession or small scale distribution of marijuana should be offered job training and/or higher education at no cost for entry or management positions related to cultivating, processing, transporting or dispensing marijuana. 6. Those who have been arrested for possession or small scale distribution of marijuana should be offered priority in receiving entry or management positions or ownership related to cultivating, processing, transporting or dispensing marijuana or other career opportunities they may choose. 7. Funds and grants to assist in growing, preparing, transporting and dispensing legalized marijuana should be offered in direct proportion to the harm that individuals have suffered – those who have been harmed the most should receive the greatest compensation. In particular, the greater the harm an individual has suffered, the higher priority that individual should have for being offered a license related to dispensing marijuana. Such licenses must never be based on a lottery or fees of over $100. 8. Organic growing must be a core component of protecting the health of marijuana workers, producers and users. All who grow marijuana must receive education at no cost on how to do so without the use of chemical poisons (“pesticides”). This must include how to intersperse marijuana with other crops so that pests are not as threatening as they are with monocultures. All who grow, process and disperse marijuana must obtain certification that their product is free of chemical contaminants. There should be no limitations on the number of marijuana plants an individual may grow, as long as those plants are grown with genuine organic principles. [Passed by the April 20, 2022 Green Party of St. Louis meeting with confirmation of wording by the April 25, 2022 Coordinating Committee meeting.] [For submission to MOGP for adoption at its statewide meeting of Saturday, June 25, 2022.]
