‘Cannabis: Legalize It or Not’

by Minister of Information JR

marijuana_medium3, ‘Cannabis: Legalize It or Not’, Culture Currents Medical cannabis has been a hot topic in California for several years and especially since Prop. 215 was passed. The debate heated up even more when, on Oct. 19, the Obama administration announced that federal prosecutors would not pursue medical marijuana users and distributors who comply with state laws.

It seems like the people of California are one step closer to ending the prohibition of medical marijuana. Even the Oakland airport recently announced that medical marijuana users could fly on planes with 8 ounces of medical marijuana.

Lots of questions can be asked about this development:

  • What does this mean to the illegal market? Many young males in Black and Brown neighborhoods all across the country feed their families with the proceeds made from illegal growing and distribution. What will it mean if more marijuana users bought their “weed” from clubs instead of the streets?
  • What is the next drug in line to sell?
  • Will patients feel safer buying their weed from dispensaries?
  • How will legalization affect the crime rate, be it that possession and distribution in a limited way will be decriminalized?
  • What policies are most profitable to city government?
  • Who gets to own dispensaries?
  • What is the process?

This is the “pitch” made by JR to Spot.us, a nonprofit project of the Center for Media Change pioneering “community funded reporting.” Go to “Who benefits from the legalization of medical marijuana?” to contribute toward the support of JR’s work. Once funds are received, he will produce a 15 minute radio piece, a 5-10 minute video story and an approximately 1,500 word text article to accompany the video and audio.

This video, “Cannabis: Legalize It or Not,” was produced by JR and Siraj Fowler for a related project sponsored by New America Media.

Email POCC Minister of Information JR, Bay View associate editor, at blockreportradio@gmail.com and visit www.blockreportradio.com.

Cannabis: Legalize It or Not

Cannabis: Legalize It or Not from New America Media on Vimeo.