The legalization of cannabis has been a widely debated topic over the last several years. As more and more states continue to make recreational use legalized, there are still many parts of the county where it is prohibited, even for medicinal purposes. 

Regardless of which side of the argument you fall on, one thing that’s pretty black-and-white is this: Black people have been historically incarcerated at much higher rates than others for cannabis possession. Even though marijuana is used at pretty even rates across the board, Black people are almost four to ten times more likely to be arrested - and given harsher sentences, like life without parole.

Even when an arrest doesn’t end in jail time, it can still stay on a person’s record for years and negatively impact them for the rest of their lives, keeping them from gaining employment or finding housing and continuing a cycle of poverty and inequality for future generations.