This week, we will cover the potential for decriminalization in New Jersey, Nevada’s pardoning of over 15,000 cannabis convictions, Yelp’s decision to withhold premium advertising services from legal cannabis companies. And lastly, the decision by Portland’s City Council to cut off their police department’s access to cannabis tax revenue.
Also, we will continue to provide updates relating to the ongoing, nation-wide Black lives Matter protests.
New Jersey Assembly Votes In Favor Of Cannabis Decriminalization
On Thursday, the New Jersey Assembly voted to approve a bill that would decriminalize cannabis possession in the Garden State.
The new legislation would decriminalize possession of up to two ounces of cannabis products. Possession of such an amount would result in a $50 fine and would carry no threat of jail time.
In November, New Jersey is preparing to vote on a wider-reaching cannabis legalization referendum. The decriminalization poised to become law represents a desire by lawmakers to initiate modest reform in the interim.
Moreover, this interest in decriminalization is part of an evolving nation-wide awareness of cannabis criminalization’s racist overtones. While Black and white Americans have long consumed cannabis at similar rates, Black Americans consistently face harsher and more frequent punishment for doing so.
Also, beyond the minimal threat of legal action for cannabis possession, the new proposal shifts law enforcement’s method of investigation.
Under the new bill, possessing under two ounces of cannabis would be automatically viewed as “authorized possession of medical cannabis.” Only with a “preponderance of evidence” could lawmakers or law enforcement consider possession unlawful.
The measure would also offer “virtual expungements,” a process that would clear prior criminal cannabis possession charges.
Yelp Withholds Advertisement Features From Cannabis Companies
With little warning, Yelp informed cannabis companies on its platform they can no longer access two of their advertising tools. The two tools being withheld from legal cannabis companies are the Business Highlights and Portfolio features.
In emails sent to numerous cannabis companies, Yelp stated they had “unfortunate news” before outlining the sudden change. Berkeley Patients Group, the longest-running dispensary in the country, claims the impact of this change has been “significant.”
“This is yet another blow for us,” BPG Director of Marketing Lauren Watson said. “Yelp was one of only a few effective advertising channels available to legal cannabis companies.”
“Now,” Watson says, “without warning, we’re being shut out.” Watson claims that BPG experienced a 60% decline in page views following Yelp’s policy change.
While the exact reason for the change is unclear, this is not the first time that Yelp has made headlines relating to the cannabis market. Just prior to making their premium services unavailable to cannabis companies, Yelp had dealt with some unwanted media coverage.
In early 2020, an NBC News investigation found that Yelp was advertising for numerous illegitimate cannabis companies. In response to this investigation, Yelp launched a new verification process for companies looking to utilize its services.
While Yelp spokespeople have not yet confirmed any connection between the NBC investigation and their new policies.
Portland Lawmakers Vote To Withhold Cannabis Tax Revenue From The Portland Police Bureau
The Portland City Council voted to include an amendment to their budget that divests cannabis tax revenue from the Portland Police Bureau. The budget itself is still ongoing, and hearings are set to continue this week.
However, amidst a nation-wide call to defund the police, Portland lawmakers have proposed $27 million in budget cuts to their police bureau.
The new amendment to Portland’s budget answers a call from the Minority Cannabis Business Association. The MCBA demanded that Portland’s City Council discontinue the practice of investing cannabis tax revenue into their police bureau.
In 2016, Portland passed a measure allocating cannabis tax revenue to substance abuse treatment, public safety and small business development.
Since then, an estimated 79% of Portland’s cannabis revenue has gone to public safety, with 46% going to the PPB.
Dr. Rachel Knox is an MCBA board member and chair of the Oregon Cannabis Commission. Dr. Knox claims that cannabis has “historically been a tool weaponized against communities of color.”
“It’s really, in my opinion, paradoxical that we are now using the economy of cannabis to fund the very institution that continues to terrorize communities of color and continues to disproportionately police our communities for the enforcement of marijuana laws,” she said.
If the amendment is upheld in this week’s hearings, the PPB will stop receiving any funds from cannabis tax revenue. The fund will instead go toward restorative justice initiatives.
The MCBA is calling for cities across the nation to stop allocating cannabis revenues to police departments.
Nevada Pardons Over 15,000 Cannabis Convictions Under Governor’s New Resolution
Last week, we covered Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak’s resolution to pardon prior cannabis convictions in the Battle Born State. Last Wednesday, Nevada’s Board of Pardons Commissioners voted unanimously to uphold the resolution.
As a result, Nevada will automatically pardon over 15,000 existing cannabis convictions. The resolutions will pardon convictions for possession up to an ounce spanning from 1986 to 2017.
“Today is a historic day for those who were convicted of […] a trivial crime,” Governor Sisolak said. “This resolution aims to correct that and fully restore any rights lost as a result.”
While the resolution does not pardon any convictions, it does restore any rights lost as a result of these convictions. Now, those eligible for pardons can now submit a form to expedite processing to receive documentation of their status change.
Nevadans already have the right to petition the courts for the expungement of cannabis convictions. However, this resolution extends pardons automatically.
Meanwhile, other states across the country have taken similar approaches to restorative justice. California, Illinois, Virginia, and Washington all passed legislation aimed at pardoning prior cannabis convictions.
BLM Protest Updates
The United States is currently experiencing a surge of activism and protesting erupting from the murder of George Floyd by Minnesota police officers.
Protesters are taking to the streets across the country to demand systemic reform against police violence.
What follows is a collection of updates related to the ongoing BLM protests.
- Homeland Security has reportedly used planes, helicopters and drones to monitor protests in 15 US cities.
- Recent polls show widespread support for the BLM protests, while views on police reform remain varied.
- Minnesota’s legislation failed to pass a police reform bill following a weeks-long special session.
- Colorado passed a sweeping police reform bill banning chokeholds and ending qualified immunity among other reforms.
- President Trump signed an executive order introducing several police reforms, including a federal database to track officer abuse. The executive order includes no actions related to defunding, dismantling, or dissolving any police agencies.
- A shooting in Seattle’s autonomous zone left 1 dead and 1 in critical condition. There have been no arrests as of this writing.
- There have been over 50 reports of vehicles ramming into crowds during nationwide BLM protests. Authorities consider 18 of these attacks to be deliberate.
- BLM protests are likely not behind a recent surge in US coronavirus cases, according to an analysis by USA Today.
- At a rally in Tulsa, Eric Trump referred to BLM protesters as “animals,” accusing them of burning down churches.
- Across the country, city officials and protesters alike are removing statues of Confederate icons.
