The Passions of Drew Martin
Since the start of the pandemic, we have been inundated with online content related to relaxation, or we go through Instagram with posts on how to breathe, the value of yoga in maintaining wellness, the latest meditation app, or a cat meme with an uplifting message. But sometimes you just need an old school ritual to keep it together. Marijuana has been culturally stigmatized and even illicit in different forms and quantities, but that veil is slowly thinning as more research demonstrating the health and wellness benefits of cannabis is leading to its endorsement by credible medical and wellness professionals. This has also led to the gradual decriminalization of marijuana in several states. As Americans confront the unfinished business of racial equality, we also shouldn’t forget that thousands of citizens are still incarcerated for marijuana-related charges. According to a recent ACLU report, “Black people were still nearly four times more likely than white people to get arrested for marijuana possession, despite similar usage rates.” A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform.
