“The people most likely to be victims of marijuana prohibition are the least likely to profit in its aftermath,” writes Killer Mike an op-ed for Rolling Stone under his government name Michael Render.
Backing up his claims, Render cites a BuzzFeed report from earlier this year, which found that only one percent of the country’s thousands of marijuana dispensaries are owned by blacks. One of the reason he points out is because people convicted of drug crimes, even if they are nonviolent, are often disqualified from participating in the marijuana industry altogether.
Delving even further into the issue, he shares the history of marijuana prohibition in the United States, one that is “rooted in the deliberate demonization and criminalization of black and Hispanic men.”
He also offers examples of state laws that perpetuate this trend as well as laws that hope to end it. He also encourages lawmakers in now-legal states to consider better opportunities in the marijuana industry for minorities. The marijuana industry is projected to surpass $40 billion by 2020.
Killer’s latest group album Run the Jewels 3 will be released on January 13th. The album, according to Pitchfork, features Danny Brown, Kamasi Washington, TV on the Radio’s Tunde Adebimpe, Trina, Boots, and more and features previously released songs “Talk to Me,” “Panther Like a Panther (I’m the Shit)” and “2100.”
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