Mary, Mary, Suddenly Not-So-Contrary: Here’s How New Cannabis Laws Can Affect Suppliers of Color
April 23, 2019The modern day “War on Drugs” was created by President Nixon in 1970 and according to History.com,“the War on Drugs is a phrase used to refer to a government-led initiative that aims to stop illegal drug use, distribution and trade by increasing and enforcing penalties for offenders.” In 1994, President Nixon’s former Domestic Policy Chief, John Ehrlichman openly admitted that the “war on drugs” was started with the intention of jailing Black people and anti war protestors. “We could arrest their leaders, raid their homes, break up their meetings, and vilify them night after night on the evening news. Did we know we were lying about the drugs? Of course we did,” Ehrlichman said. Although he admitted the war on drugs was a tactic to suppress and devastate Black families, the war on drugs and the stereotypes it created have lasting effects to this day.