Cannabis and Race: A Complicated Relationship

Cannabis legalization, and the fact that cannabis is still illegal in many places all around our beautiful planet, has been discussed by a lot of people coming from a lot of different places, both geographically and culturally. This said, when it comes to marijuana politics, there seems to be a sort of layer beyond which many discussions never move. This layer is mainly made of personal opinions, first impressions, stereotypical representations and skepticism. Very rarely facts, not only biological but also historical facts, end up having the space they deserve. This said, there is also something else that rarely enters a discussion on marijuana, and that’s the connection between cannabis and race.

As we all know, race is one of the biggest tabus in both American and European societies and media: we don’t talk about it, unless we have to. However, cannabis is very much about race. In fact, not only cannabis is associated with the Rastafari movement and Bob Marley, a person of color, but it has also been portrayed over and over again as being a fundamentally destructive factor within black communities. Black mobsters smoke pot, right? This is the kind of awfully ignorant stereotypes we are forced to deal with, stereotypes that make it easier to portray marijuana as naturally illegal, criminal. But the real crime here is the never-ending reiteration of racist representations.

Let’s start by talking about how, as a matter of fact, while blacks are way more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession, the number of blacks that never used cannabis is actually higher than the number of whites who tried it at least once. Quite surprising, just like the fact that it’s actually still illegal to smoke pot in Jamaica. So: marijuana is predominantly a white habit, and Jamaicans can’t smoke pot wherever they want… say what?!?

My point here is quite simple: the recognition of the role race (as a discourse) plays in defining the nature of cannabis politics cannot be underestimated, unless we are ready to adopt a series of stereotypical, racists representations that do nothing more than turning an important discussion into a problematic, ethical sequence of ignorant statements. Cannabis is something everyone should be allowed to enjoy legally, no matter the race.

By the way, if you are in a place where cannabis is legal, here is a website for you, where you will find the best strains ever: http://greenhouseseeds.nl/. Enjoy it!