Pubdate: Tue, 18 Nov 2008 Source: Diamondback, The (U of MD Edu) Copyright: 2008 Diamondback Contact: http://www.diamondbackonline.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/758 Author: Irina Alexander Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/racial.htm (Racial Issues) Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?219 (Students for Sensible Drug Policy) Note: Irina Alexander is the vice president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. DRUG LAWS ROOTED IN RACISM The other day, one of my friends asked me the commonly pondered question, "Wait, so why is marijuana illegal?" Let's not joke around - the majority of today's population has come to realizethat marijuana is at least not as bad as the Reefer Madness era tried to convince us it is. I think many of us would agree that police resources should be focused on serious crime. So what exactly is the real reason for prohibition? The answer is disconcerting. Marijuana prohibition in the United States was attributed purely to racism, in particular against Mexican immigrants and the black jazz culture. Newspapers printed headlines spreading racist ideas such as, "Marijuana influences Negroes to look at white people in the eye, step on white men's shadows and look at a white woman twice." Claims that marijuana incited violence among minorities played a central role in building support for harsh drug laws within white communities. With marijuana prohibition eventually came prohibition of other popular drugs, and institutionalized racism flourished within the criminal justice system. Cleverly hidden under the false agenda of protecting citizens from scary drugs, politicians were able to enforce what can be considered the new Jim Crow laws, the "war on drugs." Today, although black people comprise about 13 percent of the population, they make up about 59 percent of those convicted of drug offenses. Either police are failing to report an overwhelming majority of white drug convictions, or there is a serious problem of racial profiling. Not only are black people unfairly targeted, but their treatment within the criminal justice system is shockingly unjust. The policy of mandatory minimums for crack cocaine, but not powder cocaine, is absurd. Mandatory sentencing for possession of five grams of crack cocaine, which has the same active ingredient as powder cocaine but is primarily more popular in lower income communities of color, is five years. On the other hand, it would take possession of 500 grams of powder cocaine for such a sentence. The blatant racism underlying the war on drugs cannot remain hidden any longer. It's up to us to uncover the realities, spread the message and reform the laws. Students for Sensible Drug Policy, an organization with more than 140 chapters across the world, will be hosting its 10th anniversary international conference at the university from Nov. 21 to 23. Do your part to make a change and register today (www.ssdp.org/conference) to connect with hundreds of students who understand the realities and believe in sensible drug policies focused on health and reasoning, not racism and hysteria. Irina Alexander is the vice president of Students for Sensible Drug Policy. - --- MAP posted-by: Larry Seguin