War on Drugs Archives

‘This was supposed to be reparations’ Why is LA’s cannabis industry devastating black entrepreneurs?

By IBW21News & Current Affairs, Reparations

Black merchants affected by the war on drugs are denied licenses and thrown into debt as white owners thrive. By Sam Levin, The Guardian — A Los Angeles government program set up to provide cannabis licenses to people harmed by the war on drugs has been plagued by delays, scandal and bureaucratic blunders, costing some intended beneficiaries hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses. Black entrepreneurs and activists across LA told…

February 4, 2020

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One city’s reparations program that could offer a blueprint for the nation

By IBW21News & Current Affairs, Reparations

Evanston, Illinois, is levying a tax on newly legalised marijuana to fund projects benefiting African Americans in recognition of the enduring effects of slavery and the war on drugs By Eric Lutz, The Guardian — For years, Robin Rue Simmons watched Evanston, Illinois, “working hard” to resolve its racial disparities – but with little to show for its efforts. “Our gaps were widening,” the city alderman told the Guardian, citing the Chicago suburb’s…

January 24, 2020

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A drug seller's story: Corvain - Drug Policy Alliance

Rethinking the “Drug Dealer”

By IBW21Editors' Choice

By Alyssa Stryker, DPA — Policymakers in the United States increasingly recognize that drug use should be treated as a public health issue instead of a criminal issue. Most, however, continue to support harsh criminal sentences for people who are involved with drug selling or distribution. With more than 68,000 people in the United States dying from accidental drug overdoses in 2018 alone, many people are searching for someone to blame…

December 23, 2019

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Programmatic Highlights: IBW21 reflects as we enter 2020 “The Year of Garvey”

By IBW21News & Current Affairs

Towards the Year of Marcus Mosiah Garvey. 2020 will mark the 100th Anniversary of the International Convention of the Negro People of the World, Convened in 1920 in New York by Marcus Mosiah Garvey, President General of the Universal Negro Improvement Association and African Communities League (UNIA-ACL). Marcus Garvey was the greatest mass-organizer Black people have ever produced and the architect of an economic, social and political blueprint designed to…

December 21, 2019

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Gov. Pritzker signs legislation strengthening most equity-centric adult-use cannabis law in the nation

By IBW21News & Current Affairs

By Real Times Media — Surrounded by dozens of criminal justice reform advocates and lawmakers at Cabrini Green Legal Aid, Governor JB Pritzker signed legislation today to strengthen the most equity-centric adult-use cannabis law in the nation and announce the first round of social equity applications opens on Tuesday, December 10. “Illinois’ challenges are unique because we forged our own path,” said Governor JB Pritzker. “When the calendar hits January…

December 16, 2019

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A Message on Policing Respectability

By IBW21Commentaries/Opinions

By Sonia Pruitt (Chair of the National Black Police Association) — Yesterday morning, I received a text message from a friend, who is also in law enforcement. The text contained a link to a news story, and the lede read “William Barr Says Those Who Don’t Show More Respect to Cops May Not Get Police Protection.” The next text from my friend read, “How horrible is this….” After I read the story, I felt…

December 9, 2019

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Terri L. Crawford with Senator Nina Turner

Protecting Democracy – An Interview with Sen. Nina Turner

By IBW21Editors' Choice

By Terri L. Crawford, JD, The Omaha Star — “Moreover, he shall speak for you to the people; and he will be as a mouth for you …” — Exodus 4:16 As the voice of the people, the Nebraska Democratic Party Black Caucus’ mission is to promote the involvement of Blacks in the political process and the activities of the party at the local, state, and national level. The Caucus…

November 22, 2019

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Parents Across the Nation Will Gather on International Overdose Awareness Day

By IBW21News & Current Affairs

On International Overdose Awareness Day, Parents Across the Nation Gather to Remember and Honor Lives Lost and Educate Communities about Solutions to the Overdose Crisis. By Moms United/A New Path — Moms United to End the War on Drugs representatives are raising awareness about the crisis on accidental overdoses across the nation and around the world. Families will hold rallies and vigils during the week leading up to International Overdose…

August 27, 2019

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Kim Foxx, the Illinois State’s Attorney for Cook County,

State Attorney Kim Foxx plans to expunge thousands of marijuana convictions

By IBW21News & Current Affairs

Kim Foxx, the Illinois State’s Attorney for Cook County, announced that her office is set to expunge thousands of misdemeanor cannabis convictions in the coming months. By Ny Magee, The Grio — Kim Foxx, the Illinois State’s Attorney for Cook County, announced that her office is set to expunge thousands of misdemeanor cannabis convictions in the coming months. Foxx and her office are in talks with Code for America to identify minor marijuana cases in the…

April 19, 2019

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Decriminalizing the Drug War?

By IBW21Editors' Choice, War on the “War on Drugs” Posts

Calculating the Damage from a Century of Drug Prohibition. By Alfred W. McCoy, TomDispatch — We live in a time of change, when people are questioning old assumptions and seeking new directions. In the ongoing debate over health care, social justice, and border security, there is, however, one overlooked issue that should be at the top of everyone’s agenda, from Democratic Socialists to libertarian Republicans: America’s longest war. No, not…

April 12, 2019

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