THE RACE TO NORMALITY AND SOCIAL EQUITY

Reviewing the current state of America's opioid epidemic, which continues in "full force", Hammaker et al discuss provision of cannabis from a prescribing perspective in the Harm Reduction Journal (2023):

"...if phytocannabinoids prove to be non-inferior in safety and efficacy, then dissemination of this knowledge becomes a matter of social justice, because it could offer individuals of low socioeconomic status dramatically improved access to non-opioid pain management options."
https://harmreductionjournal.biomedcentral.com/counter/pdf/10.1186/s12954-023-00842-6.pdf [2933]

In "Cannabis Regulation and Development: Fair(er) Trade Options for Emerging Legal Markets" (2020), David Bewley-Taylor, Martin Jelsma and Sylvia Kay" write:

"It would be a dramatic outcome, however, if the legally regulated medical and non-medical markets that are rising from the ashes of global drug prohibition ultimately lead to what prohibition intended, but never succeeded in achieving: the destruction of the remnants of traditional cannabis cultures that barely managed to survive, and the eradication of the illicit cannabis survival economies in the global South. The construction of the global cannabis prohibition regime was a historic mistake with severe consequences. But if the transition towards a legally regulated market results in a corporate takeover that concentrates profits in the pockets of a handful of Big Pharma, Agro, and cannabis companies and pushes small-scale farmers in the global South out of business, another historic mistake is already in the making."

Among its proposals:

"A commitment to solidarity and social justice, with initiatives going beyond pure profit and business making opportunities to integrate ethical concerns as a foundational part of the operation.

"Producer empowerment and community benefit sharing through more equitable terms of trade, in which producers are not just seen as providers of raw materials but as value creators.

"Environmental sustainability standards in relation to the use of energy, water, and agricultural inputs.

"Labour protections to ensure worker safety, health, and satisfaction.

"Democratic control, participation and decision-making processes, through inclusive business models and systems of worker-driven social responsibility.

"Transparency and traceability in the operation of the cannabis market and supply chain.

"Longer-term strategies, with special attention placed on marginalised communities and rural areas in (traditional) producing countries.

"Respect for social history and the role of cannabis in the cultural and religious identities and practices of traditional growing communities.

"Based on those overarching principles, several concrete policy measures can be considered:

"Quotas that stipulate that a certain percentage of cannabis product must be sourced from small growers;

"Minimum pricing for delivery of cannabis so that producers are guaranteed a specified income stream;

"Affirmative licensing laws that prioritise, in the first instance, small and traditional cultivators to give them a head start in the market;

"A development fund from the fees collected from the issuing of licenses and/or other revenue, which could be put back into cannabis growing communities and regions;

"Lower barriers to entry for small and medium-sized producers in terms of administrative, compliance and security costs;

"Restrictions on foreign investment with regard to the acquisition of licenses, company ownership, and intellectual property rights over local cannabis strains and products;

"Enable a legal national and export market for cannabis-based alternative health products alongside high-standard pharmaceutical prescription medicines;

"Encourage cannabis growers to organise and register themselves as cooperatives to pool resources and coordinate lobbying efforts and negotiations with governments and companies;

"Enact land reform programmes where cannabis growers currently find themselves without access to land or security of tenure;

"An amnesty and the expungement of criminal records to facilitate cannabis growers to transition out of illegality.

"These proposed principles and policy measures are non-hierarchical and non-exhaustive. They are intended to stimulate further debate and reflection as the licit cannabis market evolves, although there will certainly be a need for cultural sensitivity and flexibility based on the diversity of profiles of growers and consumers in different regions. Above all, however, they are a call to policymakers, development agencies and investors to start taking the issue of fair(er) trade cannabis seriously and to transform the idea from a utopia into a reality."
https://journals.openedition.org/poldev/3758?lang=en [807]

Meanwhile, in Morocco, they are pursuing the Californication model of the 90s, which required millions of people to pretend to be ill for the sake of market capture:

"Chefchaouen is one of the three provinces where cannabis cultivation is permitted under the 2021 law for non-recreational use.

"Morocco’s partial legalisation of cannabis sought to combat drug trafficking and improve the farmers’ livelihoods, supporting up to 120,000 families in the region whose economy relies on cannabis which has been grown there for centuries.

"In its first harvest of legal, low-potency cannabis last year, the country reported an output of 296 tonnes, according to ANRAC, Morocco’s cannabis regulating agency.

"For [farmer Abdesselam] Ichou [who started growing legally in 2022], it was 'a record harvest of almost eight tonnes on one hectare' that provided him with a steadier income than illegal cultivation.

"He said he sold the crop at US$8 (RM36.85) per kilogram to give a gross revenue of US$64,000. The Moroccan firm that bought it decided to invest in two more hectares for the next harvest.

"‘Right path’

"In 2023, Ichou was the only farmer in his village to legally grow cannabis. This year, he said, there are about 70.

"In Chefchaouen, Hoceima, and Taounate — the Rif provinces where non-recreational cannabis cultivation is legal — the number of farmers went from 430 to 3,000 in a year, according to ANRAC [Morocco’s cannabis regulating agency]."

And

"'I never imagined that one day I would be able to grow cannabis without the fear and anxiety of being arrested, robbed, or not being able to sell my harvest,' said Ichou, 48.

"'Today, we work in broad daylight, in a free and dignified manner,' he added, proudly showing his leafy crops in the commune of Mansoura, in the Chefchaouen region southeast of Tangiers."
https://www.malaymail.com/news/life/2024/08/01/in-morocco-its-official-cannabis-production-is-totally-legal-and-the-new-agricultural-sector-is-booming/145590 [3312]

The Moroccan government expects cannabis revenue from Europe alone to reach $630,000,000 by 2028. A DW documentary examines the divisive effect prohibition has had on families in both Morocco and the US.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8iE8x6LeXMY [3314]

On 20 August 2024 newscentral.africa reported:

"Morocco’s King Mohammed VI has pardoned over 4,800 individuals who were convicted or wanted for illegal cannabis cultivation, the Ministry of Justice announced on Monday. The move comes as part of the country’s ongoing transition towards regulated cannabis production.

"The royal pardon was granted to 4,831 people involved in cannabis-related cases, just ahead of a national holiday on Tuesday, according to the ministry’s statement....This pardon is intended to help those previously involved in illegal cultivation to transition into the legal framework."
https://newscentral.africa/morocco-pardons-over-4800-cannabis-farmers-as-part-of-new-legalisation-strategy/ [3414]

Morocco's Legal Cannabis Sector Produced 4,082 Tons in 2024
https://www.moroccoworldnews.com/2024/12/367232/morocco-s-legal-cannabis-sector-produced-4-082-tons-in-2024 [3841]

As of November 2023, the right to recreational weed has become normal in the United States, counted not according to how much noise is made by the opponents who don't use it, but according to the population served by state-level legalisaton, as shown here:



Growing cannabis is a stimulating hobby. According to the Provincetown Independent it is "Aging Gardeners’ New Favorite Crop": "Elders find fun, community, and pain relief in growing and smoking weed...

"'Growing it is sort of your connection to the earth, and there’s a mental satisfaction that comes from that that is different from when you just walk into a dispensary and buy the product,' says Mike Fee, a retired lawyer who grows his own cannabis in Truro.

"The popularity of homegrown here does not seem to have had an effect on dispensary sales, according to Zachary Ment, owner of the Piping Plover, a cannabis shop in Wellfleet.

"'People can easily ferment beer in their basements, but that doesn’t necessarily hurt liquor or beer sales,' Ment says. 'Everyone grows tomatoes out here, but the supermarkets still seem to sell a lot.'

"In fact, Ment is all for his neighbors’ hobby. The uptick in seniors growing their own pot helps destigmatize the herb, he says. As more retired people grow pot and share it with their friends, the number of those interested in the product goes up."
https://provincetownindependent.org/top-stories/2024/07/31/aging-gardeners-new-favorite-crop-cannabis/ [3313]

Forbes, reporting on Han et al (2025) in JAMA Internal Medicine, says:

"This cross-sectional study analyzed 15,689 adults aged 65 and older using data from the National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSDUH), a nationwide survey of people in the U.S. who aren’t living in institutions.

"The findings show that, between 2021 and 2023, cannabis use among older adults in the U.S. saw a significant rise, with some groups showing especially sharp increases.

People with a college or postgraduate degree, for example, went from 4.9% to 8.3% in cannabis use. Among those earning $75,000 or more, cannabis use more than doubled, from 4.2% to 9.1%. Married adults also showed a big jump, going from 3.8% to 7.4%."

And...

"The most dramatic increase came from people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), whose usage doubled from 6.4% to 13.5%. People with chronic conditions like cancer, diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure also reported using cannabis more. And those dealing with two or more chronic illnesses saw use rise from 3.5% to 8.2%."
https://www.forbes.com/sites/dariosabaghi/2025/06/05/us-seniors-nearly-double-cannabis-use-in-just-two-years-study-finds/ [5052]
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamainternalmedicine/article-abstract/2834781 [5053]

Writing in the Duluth News Tribune, NORML deputy director Paul Armentano claims:

"Many consumers in non-legal states also reported that they frequently traveled to neighboring legal states to purchase cannabis products rather than buying from illicit dealers in their own state.

"Twelve years into states’ marijuana-legalization experiment, public support for making marijuana legal nationwide has never been higher. To date, 24 states have legalized the adult-use market. The Minnesota Legislature voted for legalization last year. No state has yet to repeal its legalization law. That’s because these policies are working largely as voters and politicians intended — and because they’re preferable to cannabis criminalization.

"After a century of failed policies and 'canna-bigotry,' the verdict is in. Legalization is a success, and the end of cannabis prohibition can’t come soon enough."
https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/columns/national-view-marijuana-legalization-a-stunning-success-for-states [4604]

Sooner for some than for others, according to this analysis from Rockerfeller Institute of Government:

[legalization-to-sales-snapshot-year 5746]
https://rockinst.org/blog/adult-use-marijuana-legalization-to-sales-three-factors-that-impact-speed-of-implementation/ [5746]

Consequently there is a time dimension to the ECHR contraventions in terms of the delay experienced by Slovenia's users or would-be users in removing the rights-denying terms of the ZPPPD.

Today, reparations are built into most US legalisation processes. Here, in descending order of obesity prevalence, is how the legal states see the reparations situation across the nation.



Missouri, the fattest of the legal states, has no state social equity program.

"Missouri voters approved recreational marijuana in November 2022 through Amendment 3, with sales launching in February 2023." [5474]

"Nearly 100,000 marijuana convictions have been expunged from government records as part of a constitutional amendment Missouri voters approved a year ago.

"Under the new law, nearly every misdemeanor marijuana conviction was supposed to be expunged by June 8 with the exception for offenders still incarcerated or currently supervised by the Department of Corrections.

"Most felony convictions are also supposed to be expunged by December 8. [2023]

'We have always said that as long as the courts, the circuit clerks in particular, are making a good faith effort to comply with the law, to get those cases expunged, that we'll be satisfied. They have not technically met the deadline. But on the other hand, we're dealing with a century of marijuana prohibition in Missouri. So, there are hundreds of thousands of cases,' said Dan Viets, who wrote parts of the constitutional amendment."
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/missouri-expunges-nearly-100000-marijuana-convictions-in-year-since-constitutional-amendment-approved/ar-AA1jCC6q [4167]

By 16 July 2025 "more than 150,000" had been expunged but "hundreds of thousands" more remain unperturbed, dating back to 1920.

"'It is perplexing that prosecutors and Courts have no problem finding prior marijuana-related convictions when they wish to enhance new charges against a Defendant, yet it seems to be a major undertaking for the Courts to locate those same cases when it comes to expungement', said [Dan] Viets, an attorney with nearly 40 years of experience handling such cases throughout the state of Missouri."
https://mogreenway.com/2025/07/16/more-than-150000-marijuana-cases-expunged-in-missouri/ [5160]

In Michigan, residency and a previous cannabis conviction are criteria for inclusion in the social equity program.

New Mexico has a goal of distributing at least fifty percent of cannabis licenses and cannabis jobs to social equity applicants.

Illinois has approved a plan for restorative housing reparations from a 3% tax on recreational sales.

According to a state government press release of 10 January 2025:

"CHICAGO - Governor JB Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity (DCEO) today announced that $8.75 million in Direct Forgivable Loans fully financed by the State will be made available to all conditionally-approved social equity loan applicants in order to provide immediate access to capital. Pending the completion of a simplified documentation process, forgivable loan amounts between $50,000-$500,000 will be released immediately.

"'Equity has always been at the core of our cannabis legalization process. It's why we expunged hundreds of thousands low-level cannabis charges and instituted the Cannabis Social Equity Loan Program. But I know that if we want to create a truly equitable cannabis industry in Illinois, we must give our business owners the resources they need to grow—both figuratively and literally,' said Governor JB Pritzker. 'That's why we are launching this Direct Forgivable Loan Program to provide a much-needed jumpstart for social equity applicants who've faced hurdles in pursuit of capital funding. This $8.75 million will help our social equity licensees open their doors for business—a major step towards creating a prosperous cannabis industry here in Illinois.'"

Maryland has a Cannabis Business Assistance Fund.

The Washington Post of 16 June 2024 reports:

"Maryland Gov. Wes Moore will issue a mass pardon of more than 175,000 marijuana convictions Monday morning, one of the nation’s most sweeping acts of clemency involving a drug now in widespread recreational use.

"The pardons will forgive low-level marijuana possession charges for an estimated 100,000 people in what the Democratic governor said is a step to heal decades of social and economic injustice that disproportionately harms Black and Brown people. Moore noted criminal records have been used to deny housing, employment and education, holding people and their families back long after their sentences have been served."

and

"People who benefit from the mass pardon will see the charges marked in state court records within two weeks, and they will be eliminated from criminal background check databases within 10 months. The convictions, however, will still appear in public court records unless someone applies for an expungement.

Other states have forgone pardons — which forgive the crime — and instead simply blocked cannabis convictions from public view. California, for example, has sealed, dismissed or expunged more than 200,000 convictions since a 2018 law passed requiring it."
https://web.archive.org/web/20240617013655/ https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2024/06/16/maryland-mass-pardon-marijuana-conviction/ [3133]

"'It was a gargantuan step forward in recognizing the harms of the war on drugs, the racist war on drugs, said Somil Trivedi, chief legal and advocacy director for Maryland Legal Aid. 'It’s also, meaningfully, a recognition of that past and a way to move forward.'"

and

"In a statement, Xavier Conaway, the clerk of the Circuit Court for Baltimore City, said the governor’s action 'acknowledges the importance of the fair administration of justice in removing educational, housing, and employment barriers that have long disproportionately affected the lives of many Baltimoreans.'

"Maryland’s largest city had the state’s highest number of pardons — 39,865, or about 23% of the total number.

"'Our office is committed and ready to provide all necessary assistance to ensure that pardoned individuals in Baltimore City can navigate the expungement process smoothly and efficiently,' Conaway said."
https://apnews.com/article/cannabis-pardons-maryland-courts-marijuana-ffeb5f74eec8087ac9a98e854db7b1e [3150]

What's new in Baltimore might not seem to have much to do with this Defence in Slovenia. As Slovenia is also in a state of flux on these topics it is instructive for operational reasons.

The ex-crims might be grateful for finally receiving absolution from their dozy racist administration, but was a paperchase with legal clerks really what the formerly illegal recipients of the Benedictions in the neighbourhood needed?

Since it avers the hypothesis that self-targeted cannabis provision is a net benefit to society, the Defence does not agree with such requirements as applying for expungement.

These are symptomatic of an edifice which cannot confront its own obsolescence and cannot disengage.

It shows the "authorities" - however "gargantuan" they might regard this move - still haven't got it.

They haven't arrived at the reality of the negative outcomes of prohibiting the Benedictions, or the faultiness and intrusiveness of their beliefs.

The Defence view is that really, they still don't want to get it.

The Defence avers that deprivation of the Benedictions is a net loss to health and well-being at the population level. Not that everyone should or must use cannabis and psychedelics, only that there should be no unreasonable impediment to those who wish to.

https://psychedelicalpha.com/news/psychedelic-policy-push-continues-over-60-bills-introduced-across-22-states [5025]

The "authorities" - people who officially don't use drugs - cannot find themseves suddenly being legally responsible for deprivation of the Benedictions without good reason.

The "authorities" have to look good while doing a 180. They are still the kind of people who wouldn't reveal their own illicit drug use, for fear of getting drug tested and losing their job or reputation.

They are afraid of the kind of stigma they know people like themselves can create in order to survive off of it.

How can they get from nonsense to reasonableness without looking ridiculous, unreliable, and worst of all, liable?

The inevitable result is an attempt at ass-covering by the "authorities", whose best hope is to un-make the mistake of prohibition, crank down its stigma and legal consequences as imperceptibly as possible, i.e. slowly and gradually.

Grudgingly, you might say. A useful woowoo, dividing sale and purchase as if they were from opposite ends of the legal solar system, can be perpetuated into the post-pardon regime. Meanwhile "authorities" keep hush about the Benedictions, or any suggestion that they have been depriving the population of the net benefit of cannabis for (in Maryland) 87 years.

But a slow realization does not excuse a slow reaction, once that realization has been achieved. Cannabis, a sui generis good, has its place and always has done.

For all these reasons the Defendant recommends a mass tort or class action be taken against the Republic of Slovenia seeking compensation for deprivation of the Benedictions, and the value of the goods distrained, on behalf of those busted in the period since the authorities should have known better. Which is growing longer all the time.

In the present individual case, the Defence posits a complete reversal of the imagined situation. From the existence of the Benedictions, and the legal and scientific timeline, no credibility or morality can be ascribed to the prohibition of cannabis in the first place, in California from 1913 [3151,3152], from 1925 internationally, since 1930 on the present territory, or after the federal USA law of 1937. The rest, as they say, is history.

In Pennsylvania, House Reps. Dan Frankel (D-Allegheny) and Rick Krajewski, D-Philadelphia said it was time to get on with it:

"Twenty-four other states – including nearly every state that shares a border in Pennsylvania – have already legalized recreational marijuana. Polls show that cannabis decriminalization is popular among Pennsylvanians across all political parties.

"Frankel, who is majority chair of the House Health Committee, said that the criminalization of cannabis has been disastrous for the commonwealth, particularly within communities of color.

"'We have a moral obligation to not only legalize but also to work to repair the damage caused by decades of marijuana arrests,' Frankel said, noting that many states’ newly legal markets have struggled due to poor regulation and legal attacks from out-of-state cannabis corporations. Our bill will deliver a market that protects the public health, benefits our taxpayers and uplifts those communities that were disproportionately harmed by prohibition policies.'"
https://www.timesobserver.com/news/local-news/2024/12/house-dems-take-another-shot-at-legalizing-marijuana/ [3773]

Continuing the state-by-state approaches to restorative justice, in Maine it is a Cannabis Opportunity Agenda.

In Virginia black people were still more likely to be arrested even after legalisation.

In Oregon 45,000 pardons were granted and $14 million in fines and fees scratched.

Alaska has a complex legal history on marijuana, more on that shortly.

Arizona started small, devoting $2 million to a social equity program to promote the ownership and operation of marijuana establishments and marijuana testing facilities by individuals from communities previously disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws.

In Nevada, a Clark County District Court judge "ruled in favor of local cannabis advocates and declared that ​​the Nevada State Board of Pharmacy is no longer authorized to govern cannabis and must remove marijuana, cannabis, and cannabis derivatives from the controlled substances list," closing "a loophole that advocates said exacerbated racial disparities and was exploited by the pharmacy board."

In Washington state, Gov. Jay Inslee’s supplemental budget, released in December 2021, included a plan to redistribute $125 million annually to communities facing social and economic disparities resulting from inequities in, for example, the enforcement of criminal laws and penalties for drug sales.

"The $125 million for the reinvestment fund would focus on four key areas: preventing violence; implementing reentry services for those who were formerly incarcerated; giving legal aid to expunge records and vacate convictions; and developing economic capital, such as helping first-time homeowners buy their homes and small business owners access loans."

and

"'That $125 million is a down payment,' Elmer Dixon said. 'It’s a small down payment on what the government owes our community.'

"The money is a minor form of reparations for Dixon, who co-founded Seattle’s Black Panther Party in 1968. He feels much more needs to be done to atone for what he described as a 'long history of racist, brutal action' against communities of color.

"'It’s a drop in the bucket,' said Dixon, who believes Black and brown people, as well as Native Americans, are owed billions of dollars. 'But you gotta start somewhere.'"

Under the Rhode Island Cannabis Act "The commission and all personnel and employees operating under the jurisdiction of the commission to include, but not limited to, personnel of the cannabis office, shall not unlawfully discriminate by considering race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, national origin, or disability in granting, denying, or revoking a license, nor shall any person, corporation, or business firm which is licensed pursuant to the provisions of this chapter unlawfully discriminate against or segregate any person based on these grounds."

and

"a license issued to a social equity applicant shall only be transferred to another qualified social equity applicant."

More recently Rhode Island Department of Labor and Community College of Rhode Island have decided to offer free online and in person cannabis industry training:

"This 45-hour training program is free of charge, and it’s funded by the Rhode Island Department of Labor and Training’s Real Jobs RI initiative."

"The flexibility of the course scheduling and free tuition ensures the program is 'equitable and accessible to those from communities that have been impacted by the criminalization of cannabis,' according to CCRI Director of Industry Partnerships Stacy Sullivan."
https://hightimes.com/news/rhode-island-to-offer-free-cannabis-industry-training/ [3102]

New York's "program includes 'creating a goal of 50% of licenses to go to a minority or woman owned business enterprise, or distressed farmers or service-disabled veterans to encourage participation in the industry.'"

and

"'The legal cannabis market has the potential to be a major boon to New York’s economic recovery – creating new jobs, building wealth in historically underserved communities, and increasing state and local tax revenue,' [NYC Mayor Eric] Adams said."

But

"New York Marijuana Retailers Push Governor To Forgive Millions In ‘Predatory’ Social Equity Loans", a scheme created by Governor Hochul which "perpetuated many of the economic inequities it was designed to combat”. Victims of the "help" ask for replication of the Illinois model.

The Feb 3 2025 Marijuana Moment reported: "New York Senators File Bill To Decriminalize Possession Of All Drugs" https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-york-senators-file-bill-to-decriminalize-possession-of-all-drugs/ [4723]

For Vermont, social equity applicants must be either from a community historically affected by prohibition, or who has

"(a) Personally been convicted and incarcerated for any crime relating to the sale, possession, use, cultivation, manufacture, or transport of cannabis prior to legalization (misdemeanor or felony); or (b) Are a member of an impacted family."

In Connecticut:

"By law, a social equity applicant is an individual who (1) had average household income of less than 300% of the state median over the three tax years immediately before the application and (2) was a resident of a disproportionately impacted area for at least (a) five of the 10 immediately preceding years or (b) nine years before he or she turned age 18. It may also be a person (e.g., business entity) that is at least 65% owned and controlled by an individual or individuals who meet these criteria."

Montana has no state social equity program. Montana offers record cleaning for certain cannabis convictions, however the process is not automatic. Individuals with qualifying cannabis convictions may ask the court to expunge or reduce their conviction.

"California offers funds to cities and counties to:

Assess cannabis equity in their area
Create a cannabis equity program
Support an existing cannabis equity program
Directly help equity applicants and licensees through:
Technical assistance
Reduced or waived fees
Low or no-interest loans or grants
Help securing a business location
Help recruiting, training or retaining a qualified and diverse workforce
Business resilience, such as emergency preparedness"

In Massachusetts' "Act Relative To Equity In The Cannabis Industry"

"Section 14A. (a) There shall be a Cannabis Social Equity Trust Fund to encourage the full participation in the commonwealth’s regulated marijuana industry of entrepreneurs from communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement. "

and for the social equity advisory board

"When making appointments, an appointing authority shall select individuals who are from, or have experience advocating for, communities that have been disproportionately harmed by marijuana prohibition and enforcement."

"So we deliver on the same streets that I was arrested on. It's mind-blowing. It is. It's a lot. It's a lot to comprehend. So that arrest happened when I was 17. You know, I'm 29 now. I'll be 30 in September. I got arrested. And people just talk down on me and said I'd never do anything in my life, never go anywhere in life if I have to deal around with weed. And now I win awards, and I do public speaking events. And people call me a bright young entrepreneur. I haven't changed anything."
https://www.kasu.org/money-economy/money-economy/2023-03-04/cannabis-business-owner-now-earns-praise-for-what-he-was-once-arrested-for [2291]

In New Jersey:

"The New Jersey Economic Development Authority (NJEDA) Board announced today the creation of the Cannabis Equity Grant Program, aimed at helping start-ups in the state develop with assistance for early-stage expenses and technical training. Up to $10 million in state funding will be made available for applicants."

Hawaii (as of March 2023) is just getting going. The Last Prisoner Project says "simply repealing the prohibition of cannabis is insufficient".

Washington DC has a combined cannabis and alcohol administration.

And finally, the least fat and earliest legalising state, Colorado requires that

"1. The Applicant resided for at least 15 years between the years 1980 and 2010 in a census tract designated by the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade as an Opportunity Zone or designated as a 'Disproportionate Impacted Area';

"2. The Applicant or Applicant’s parent, legal guardian, sibling, spouse, child, or minor in their guardianship was arrested for a marijuana offense, convicted of a marijuana offense, or was subject to civil asset forfeiture related to a marijuana investigation; or

"3. The Applicant’s household income in a year prior to application did not exceed 50% of the state median income as measured by the number of people who reside in the Applicant’s household.

"Additionally, Social Equity Licensees must hold at least 51% ownership in their business."

Colorado is currently (March 2023) working on a bill that would require entertainment venues of over 7000 seat capacity to provide at least 4% of its seating as substance-free seating, with signs to be displayed, not higher or further away, and this includes alcohol, marijuana, tobacco and vaping.

Finally, the MCBA National Cannabis Equity Map is a useful overview of the various states of the states, available for download.

https://www.michigan.gov/cra/Sections/Social-Equity-Program [2274]
https://minoritycannabis.org/equitymap/new-mexico/ [2275]
https://news.yahoo.com/evanston-illinois-becomes-first-us-city-to-approve-reparations-plan-for-black-residents-171850902.html [2276]
https://www.illinois.gov/news/press-release.25669.html [3888]https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2022/10/07/eugene-monroe-legalizing-marijuana-maryland-expand-racial-equity/ [2277]

https://www.marijuanamoment.net/new-york-marijuana-retailers-push-governor-to-forgive-millions-in-predatory-social-equity-loans/ [3892]
https://www.brookings.edu/blog/how-we-rise/2020/06/23/marijuanas-racist-history-shows-the-need-for-comprehensive-drug-reform/ [2278]
https://graphics.aclu.org/marijuana-arrest-report/VA [2279]
https://www.marijuanamoment.net/oregon-governor-says-her-mass-marijuana-pardons-are-truly-an-act-of-mercy/ [2280]
https://naacpaowsac.org/post/wa-cannabis-revenue-could-go-to-communities-hurt-by-war-on-drugs [2281]
https://guidant.law/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Barcon-2022-Social-Equity70-Read-Only.pdf [2282]
https://thenevadaindependent.com/article/judge-nevada-pharmacy-board-cannot-regulate-cannabis-must-remove-from-schedule-1-drug-list [2283]
http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText22/SenateText22/S2430.pdf [2284]
https://edition.cnn.com/2022/12/29/us/new-york-marijuana-first-legal-sales/index.html [2285]
https://ccb.vermont.gov/sites/ccb/files/2022-01/Final%20VT%20Social%20Equity%20Recommendations.pdf [2286]
https://ccb.vermont.gov/sites/ccb/files/2022-01/Final%20VT%20Social%20Equity%20Recommendations.pdf [2287]
https://www.cga.ct.gov/2022/ba/pdf/2022HB-05329-R010672-BA.pdf [2288]
https://cannabis.ca.gov/about-us/grant-funding/ [2289]
https://malegislature.gov/Laws/SessionLaws/Acts/2022/Chapter180 [2290]
https://www.kasu.org/money-economy/money-economy/2023-03-04/cannabis-business-owner-now-earns-praise-for-what-he-was-once-arrested-for [2291]
https://nj.gov/governor/news/news/562022/approved/20221220e.shtml [2292]
https://irp.cdn-website.com/08efa45c/files/uploaded/HI%20Testimonies%20.pdf [2293]
https://minoritycannabis.org/equitymap/colorado/ [2294]
https://www.billtrack50.com/billdetail/1586067 [2295]
https://abca.dc.gov/release/licensed-operator-social-equity-applicant-open-application-period#gsc.tab=0 [2959]

Oregon leads the state-level pardons with over 45000 planned pardons as of November 2022.

"To date, an estimated 800,000 people in Illinois have had their marijuana-related convictions expunged."

while

"Missouri officials announced that courts had expunged an estimated 43,000 marijuana-related cases, including over 10,000 felonies."

For more data on pardons and expungements in the US see "Marijuana Pardons and Expungements: By the Numbers"
https://norml.org/marijuana/fact-sheets/marijuana-pardons-and-expungements-by-the-numbers/ [3044]

Following a two-month public comment period on the DEA's proposed rescheduling,

"Preliminary analyses show most commenters felt rescheduling was not enough and wanted more significant steps toward federal legalization. The DEA’s proposed rules would reclassify cannabis from a schedule I to a schedule III substance, meaning that cannabis’s status will change from an illegal narcotic on the federal level to a medication that is eligible for FDA approval, but still federally illegal in most circumstances.

"Still, Packer said rescheduling 'doesn’t address the conflict between federal laws and state laws. And, significantly for the communities that we serve, rescheduling marijuana does nothing to acknowledge or address the racist origins of marijuana criminalization, or its resulting racial disparities.'

Most of the comments reflect Packer’s view. She noted that the Drug Policy Alliance used keyword searches to rapidly analyze the 43,000 comments and determine how many favored more significant steps toward legalization. They searched for keywords and phrases like 'decriminalize', 'treated like alcohol' and 'full legalization'. The result was that 59% of commenters wanted cannabis to be decriminalized or completely descheduled, meaning it would share its legal status with alcohol and cigarettes.

"Headset, a cannabis data platform, also conducted a rapid analysis of the comments using the latest version of Open AI’s large language model, according to its CEO, Cy Scott. The AI would summarize each comment and then determine its position. The analysis yielded similar results: 57% of commenters supported descheduling cannabis, while 35% supported rescheduling and 8% wanted it to remain an illegal schedule I substance."

And...

"Scott said the AI analysis provided other insights. For example, comments from those opposed to medical cannabis tended to come in large spikes of form letters, while comments from those who supported different types of cannabis legalization seemed to flow in more organically."

And...

Aaron Smith, cofounder and CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, added:

"'In a way it’s not great because when you look at the total, 35% wanted it to be schedule III,['] she [??] pointed out. 'So if you look at this and determine it’s going to be schedule III, only a third of people who took the time to comment are really going to be happy.'"
https://www.theguardian.com/society/article/2024/jul/27/dea-cannabis-classification?CMP=share_btn_url [3289]

Colorado Public Radio News reported on psychedelics on 18 June 2025:

"Gov. Jared Polis says he will pardon people who were convicted of state crimes related to psilocybin and psilocin. The move is similar to a mass pardon of cannabis convictions in 2020.

"The announcement came during remarks at the 2025 Psychedelic Science conference in Denver on Wednesday.

...

"'These pardons (are) an important step forward for the individuals who now have this cleared from the record,' Polis said during his remarks. 'But also to really acknowledge the error in public policy that led to their conviction, creating a more just system to break down barriers and help them move on with their lives.'

...

"'I am excited about what lies ahead about the data, the science, the benefits, the risks, learning about how these natural medicines can help people, whether it’s an addiction recovery, whether it’s PTSD,' Polis said. 'These are real issues and challenges that we face, not just in Colorado, across the country and across the world.'"
https://www.cpr.org/2025/06/18/polis-pardons-previous-psilocybin-psilocin-convictions/ [5087]

By the time Trump announced rescheduling to III, LoParco et al (2025) had quantified social equity programs across states as of December 2024 as follows:

"SE initiatives related to cannabis licensure were present in 17/22 states; of these, 13 reserved a number/percent of licenses for SE entrepreneurs. Regarding SE licensure eligibility, all states required majority business ownership and had criteria considering: cannabis-related arrests/convictions of applicants and/or family members (n=14/17), residence in DICA residence (n=15/17), and/or applicants’ income/wealth (n=9/17). Most states with SE entrepreneurship initiatives provided SE entrepreneurs with technical assistance/training (n=14/17) and opportunities for reduced application/licensing fees (n=10/17). Most states imposed cannabis sales taxes (n=15/22) and/or excise taxes (n=20/22). Ten states (n=10/22) distributed cannabis program revenues to substance use education/prevention/treatment; approximately one-fifth (n=4/22) distributed funds to SE entrepreneurship initiatives. Over two-thirds of states (n=15/22) had cannabis-related expungements."
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0749379725006865 [5747]

Around the world...

"A man refused the right to have his medical cannabis prior to an arrest will receive a $10,000 payout from Queensland Police.

"Alan Harding, who lives on the Gold Coast, successfully filed an indirect discrimination case against the police service in the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

He claimed officers had prevented him from taking prescribed medical marijuana for hours, both in his home and while in custody."
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-15259603/Queensland-Police-fined-10-000-refusing-let-man-smoke-marijuana.html [5650]

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The Englishman stands for the rights of everyone disadvantaged, discriminated against, persecuted, and prosecuted on the false or absent bases of prohibition, and also believes the victims of these officially-sanctioned prejudices have been appallingly treated and should be pardoned and compensated.

The Englishman requests the return of his CaPs and other rightful property, for whose distraint Slovenia has proffered no credible excuse or cause.

The Benedictions represent both empirical entities as well as beliefs. Beliefs which the Defence evidence shows may be reasonably and earnestly held about the positive benefits of CaPs at the population level, in which the good overwhelmingly outweighs the bad. Below, the latest version of this dynamic list.




THE BENEDICTIONS                    REFERENCES                TIMELINE OF DRUG LAW v. SCIENCE