Ben & Jerry’s & ACLU: Black People Are Disproportionately Arrested For Weed In Comparison To White Folks
Although it is , a sobering fact remains that Black people are far more likely to be arrested for than their white counterparts. Ben & Jerry’s made fans of their ice cream brand aware of the fact that while today is a holiday for most stoners, Black people have been hit with the legal hammer at an exceptionally higher rate.
Via Instagram, Ben & Jerry’s posted a cartoon image of a white man’s hand passing a joint to a Black man’s hand, with one notable difference. The Black man’s hand is adorned with a handcuff, signifying Ben & Jerry’s caption that Black people are 264 percent more likely than white people to be arrested for cannabis possession despite usage among the two respective groups are the same.
From Ben & Jerry’s Instagram:
Cannabis is legal in 33 states, but hundreds of thousands of people are still arrested for possession every year — a disproportionate number of them Black. This #420, get the facts then join us and @aclu_nationwide to take action to pass the MORE Act.
The ice cream maker and the American Civil Liberties Union are partnering together to get the word out regarding the MORE Act, a law that would decriminalize and deschedule cannabis, expunge cannabis-related arrest records, and provide assistance to those have been affected by the so-called “War on Drugs” and were unjustly impacted by the Draconian laws that have given people of color far higher jail sentences for cannabis.
To learn more about Ben & Jerry’s and the ACLU’s efforts to raise awareness regarding the MORE Act, click here and also here.
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Photo: Getty
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