NJ Marijuana Legalization: The Prohibition of Driving While Black?
From the first day that I laid eyes on the road, I knew two things were for sure: I better always wear my seatbelt, and I’m going to get pulled over because I’m Black. It was so typical back then, and no one was talking it about on the news. It was just the unspoken truth.
When a Black man became successful where I was from, he purchased a nice car. Perhaps he’d add a few accessories to it, such as rims, a sound system. And immediately, he became the new target for local police. I grew up in a small rural neighborhood in Southern New Jersey. There were predominately low-income Black families where I lived. And I raised by my single mother after my father sentenced to ten years in federal prison for drug charges when I 13 years old.
So from the time I was a young man, my relationship was the police was contentious. I used to ride in the car with my big brother when I was about 14-15 years old. We’d get pulled over by the police, and they’d immediately accuse us of smoking marijuana, stating that they could “smell it”. And asking us to get out of the car so they could perform an illegal search.
If you watched the news in 2020, then I’m sure you’re aware of how routine traffic stops with the police can go left VERY fast for Black folks. It’s terrifying. Black men trained and conditioned by the elders on. “How to deal with the police” during routine traffic stops to avoid wrongful incarceration or, even worse, death. But just in case you’re unaware of how these instances play out, I’ll provide a detailed breakdown.
It typically starts with an aggressive request for your license and registration, followed by questions about. Where you’re going, where you’re coming from, if there are weapons in the car, drugs in the car, etc. At this point, there’s a magical whiff of imaginary cannabis aroma that passes by through their nostrils. And they ask you to get out of the car. No warrant, no probable cause – just the opinion of a man with a badge who may or may not pack prejudice towards the individual they’re apprehending. During these “searches,” anything can happen, and the driver is then forced to face a judge when it’s their word versus the police officers. This is America.
But not in New Jersey anymore. Right? Governor Murphy is expected to officially sign the NJ Cannabis Bill into law any day now. This historic event will be the launching pad for thousands of jobs, alternative medicines, and an entirely new breed of entrepreneurs. But it could also be the end of “Driving While Black.” No longer can a police officer pull you over for absolutely no reason. And then fabricate a story about smelling marijuana and illegally remove you from your vehicle. These routine traffic stops may sound pedestrian to most people. But it could turn into a life-or-death situation for Black folks. Now I’m certainly not saying that all cops are bad because they aren’t all. But in my experiences, you have a much higher probability of things going left than right in these predicaments.
So as we prepare to celebrate the official NJ Legalization. I want you to think of all the men and women sitting in prison cells for the same plant we’re celebrating – the same plant we’re about to monetize and make millions if not billions of dollars from. Please think of the families that have broken up. The fathers won’t see their sons/daughters graduate from high school. The mothers who cry themselves to sleep at night worried about their children’s safety behind bars.
Regardless of your ethnicity. We all have to understand one thing: Cannabis is a plant that has the potential to break society. And racial barriers unlike anything else we’ve ever experienced, and while we’re excited for what the future holds. We can’t ignore the crippling consequences that the Black community has endured.
To learn more about the fight for Cannabis criminal justice reform, check out The Last Prisoner Project's website by clicking here.