The Human Cost of the War on Drugs

Join NYU CannaPolicy and Students for Criminal Justice Reform (SCJR) in exploring the human cost of the War on Drugs and its ongoing impact on individuals and communities. 

Our discussion will highlight the case of Michael Thompson — a Michigan resident who in 1994 was sentenced to up to 60 years in prison for sale of marijuana — and the state and federal policies responsible for his and others’ lifetime incarceration. We will also be joined by Saki Fenderson — cannabis educator and activist, and co-founder of Tainted Love Bk — for a conversation on how to move forward with cannabis legalization without re-criminalizing low-income communities and communities of color.

Cannabis criminalization has harmed millions of Americans, disproportionately Black and Hispanic, through arrest, imprisonment, and by devastating their families and communities. It has also created enormous barriers for those who would benefit from the use of marijuana for medical purposes. As recreational cannabis legalization proceeds in 16 states and DC, we must reconcile the major disconnect between efforts to extract wealth from the growing industry and efforts to repair the damage caused by cannabis prohibition.