14 DAY TRIAL // The NAACP in Pennsylvania is supporting the legalization of marijuana in the state, following the results of an American Civil Liberties Union inquiry.
The reports show that 3.73 times more African Americans are arrested on drug charges every year compared to Caucasian felons.
“The War on Marijuana in Black and White” reports considered figures from the 2001 to 2010 period, according to Main Line Media News.
“The war on drugs is a catastrophic failure particularly on people of color. So much money and resources have been spent on the war on drugs while there is an alarming while there is a lack of funds for Philadelphia and school systems in general.
“An ACLU report estimated in just 2010, one year, one hundred million dollars was taken from Pennsylvania taxpayers just to enforce marijuana possession,” a statement by the NAACP reads.
The NAACP have announced that they will be supporting Senate Bill 528 put forward by State Senator Daylin Leach, K Pop Starz adds.
The piece of legislation “allows the possession, production, and use of marijuana by individuals who are over 21 years of age.”
Leach’s bill was proposed to the Senate Law and Justice Committee on April 3, and it also tackles financial issues related to drug busts and drug taxation.
“This is a major issue. The federal government reports that 60-70 percent of profits from illegal drug trade come from marijuana.”
“We could tax this and gain revenue — that’s hundreds of millions of dollars each year,” Leach explains.
Selling and possession of marijuana is costing the state of Pennsylvania over $350 million (€268 million) every year, he stresses.
The sum takes into accounts costs of arrests, detainment, and prison guards' paychecks in the case of those caught with small amounts of pot.