Pivotal moment for the cannabis movement. Theres so much excitement for the progress we have made and for where we are pushing to go. And if we do this right, by ensuring that we address the legacy of the failed war on drugs and center our work in Restorative Justice there is no stopping us. Thank you all for your leadership, keep up the good work. Hey, hey,. The war on drugs has got to go. Hey, hey,. The war on drugs has got to go. What do we want . Justice. When do we want it . Now. What do we want . Justice. When do we want to . No. Family, i just love those chants which i have either led or decided in demonstrations along with dpas damp why . Because they capture the essence of the man that i have been asked to introduce. I am mcgeachy 25, the tiny for group llc. I also commence a justice round table. Coalition over 100 organizations working in washington to advance, promote Justice System transformation. For 16 years, i worked for George Soros Open Society foundations and open Society Policy center. And in that capacity, i worked very closely with the Drug Policy Alliance. It was doing, during those years that i witnessed firsthand, the work of the pioneering, Creative Genius of ethan needleman. The work that evolved from his founding of the center in 1994 to the drug all of the alliance in 2000, i watched him from the early days battling issues of drug policy reform on the ranges, to trailblazing, massive, inyourface drug policy Reform Movement. That they grounded in science, compassion, and human rights. Ethan nato mine. Drug laws, mandatory minimum sentencing. Disparity, Harm Reduction treatment instead of tuesday. Medical marijuana proposition 36, 911, Good Samaritan laws. Opioids, just to name a few. Bpa campaigns, where there was during the good times are the bad, the ups and the downs, the victories of the defense he kept it moving. He kept the faith. Now, excitingly, the next generation continues to struggle. And issue marijuana justice. Drug war reparations and beyond. Ethan needleman currently serves on the Advisory Board at open Society Foundations global drug policy project. And as an advisor to the Global Commission on drug policy, he has played a key role as a policy advisor to george soros and other the platypus as well as elected officials ranging from mayors, governors and state and federal legislators in the United States to president s and cabinet ministers internationally. Hey, hey,. The war on drugs has got to go. Hey, hey,. The war on drugs has got to go. Lets give it up for, in the words of rolling stone, the real drugs are, our own ethan needleman. [ applause ] of got to take you on the road with me. Its like the best intro i have ever had. Well, good morning everybody. Its a pleasure to be here in dc. Its a pleasure to be here in 2019. Its a pleasure to be doing what feels a bit like a victory lap. A victory lap with a lot of stuff that lays out ahead, but a victory lap, nonetheless. So can i think it is just a few key points i want to make this morning. I am delighted that folks are still interested in bringing together industry folks with activist. People from government that need to keep happening. Jealous sometimes organizing our biannual conferences from drug policy reform all over the world. We would be so excited when we get 1500 people there. And i go to this event and it would be 15,000. Right . We would be given scholarships and people would be paying to come to their events. So, we see the way the momentum is going. But here are the few key points. The first one is this. Lets appreciate the magnitude of the transformation that has happened. And for those of you who are younger, and sort of work born around the time or after marijuana first got legalize for medical purposes in california and 96, and grew up sort of thinking marijuana legalization, but of course. Understand the history of this thing. Understand that we came out of a period 2530 years ago where barley a quarter of americans are in favor of legalizing marijuana. And marijuana was not legal anywhere for anything except maybe a cause i legalization scheme in the netherlands. To go to the point where we have gone from 25 support for legalizing to now 60 overall, and close to 8590 for medical. And from 0 states legal to over 30 states for medical and about 10 states were broadly, and we know that whole bunch of states are going to start doing through the legislative process pretty soon as a monumental well, a historical thing. I think about our big brothers, our older siblings in the cause for personal freedom and social justice and good policy. The Rights Movement. And in a way, we sort of stood on the shoulders, look at what they did, learn from what they did. And in many respects, they of course had advantages. They got the supreme court, which is something where would have a hard time getting for a very long time to come. But basically, this was a monumental transformation. The second thing i want to say is that this is probably the first time in American History that i movement driven almost entirely by concern for personal freedom, social justice, racial justice, human rights and the public policy, has resulted in the emergence of an id. Make Legal Industry that will soon be workers, already, many tens of billion dollars a years , hundreds of millions of dollars around the world. Its never happened before. You come in, for example, for alcohol prohibition. But that was basically re legalizing a market that had been legal just 15 years earlier. You can look at the Civil Rights Movement of the Rights Movement and the womens right movement, which had Major Economic percussions. But nothing that actually took something from the underground and put it into the ground to be legally regulated. That sort of transformation. What that means, at least in theory, and in moral principle, is that the people who are benefiting from this now, and who stand to make money and sometimes big money from this should at least be aware of this history, and should feel some, some moral obligation to understand that this is not just some new technological. Something to profit over. I have to say that thing the burns me up, and i like some of the guys, mostly guys is all this movement. But when you see them, right . Coming in, doing absolutely nothing to have gotten to where we are politically and legally on marijuana, and then, reaping in large amounts of money, and maybe at best, giving lip service to the social justice elements of these things, it is, i will say, infuriating. It is infuriating. Right . I will say with respect to the media, and you will hear this on the next panel, when people in the media think that marijuana got legalize for medical purposes because of the money involved. I can tell you from personal experience, having raised a large portion of the money that got us legalization to this point, that industry did not play a role until 2016. Except for that 2015 oligopoly thing in ohio which deservedly went down in flaming defeat. Right . So lets understand, this thing, we got where we were because of the momentum of activists and families and patients and philanthropists and people who cared about doing this for the right reasons. Now, the question is, what do we do Going Forward . I just say we got a be real about this. On the one hand, this is an extraordinary, dynamic market. On the one hand, the medical benefits of marijuana are real. Are substantial. We always knew that to be true, but it is so far greater than we ever anticipated. Right . When people said back in 96, youre just doing this medical model are Marijuana Initiative in california. All assumptive used to legalize marijuana more broadly and open up the debate. I say, that was half right. But the other half was it marijuana really was legitimate medicine. And that those people were suffering unused marijuana, not recreational, but medicinally, did have a more right to become first in place and become the first legal consumers in this country. So that there is a obligation. Right . So, Going Forward, you know, i am proud that my colleagues at Drug Policy Alliance have not just lead this effort to move things forward, working with Marijuana Policy project and normal and asa and local activists and so many others around the country and around the world. I am proud that they are taking a leadership role in pushing for a more human rights, racial justice, social justice approach. Right, you can see whats happening in new york, new jersey. This year its going to play out in illinois. Building to some extent we did in california a few years ago, which is to make sure some of the stuff gets woven into legislation. We know that the industry is going to get the lipservice they need. Of the more they say about the stuff the more we are creative and strategic about the stuff, the more likely we will have a chance so that this new marijuana Legal Industry can hopefully become a model for what it means to have a Legal Industry in this country and as internationally as possible, grounded in the values of science, compassion, health and human rights. So, thank you for being here. I look forward to the next panel. God bless. [ applause ] that was awesome. Hello, everyone. Good morning. I want to thank everyone for being here for this very important event. My name is Teresa Nightingale and i am the Deputy Director of pittsburgh normal. This is not a use that many people use four years ago. But it is now seen as one of the greatest threats to democracy, free debate, and the western order. Many citizens were searching for certainty and control in uncertain times. However, that often means many are spreading democracy and being seduced by fake news and quick rate type articles. We need to look no further than the history of cannabis prohibition to see how easily a campaign of lies and falsehoods can sway Public Opinion and produce the disastrous public policy. I am from pennsylvania. Master the art of fake news by joining forces with William Randolph hearst. Together, they terrify the nation and congress about some dangerous new drug being brought into the country by scary dark skinned immigrants. The lone voice of reason from the American Medical Association was drowned out by the new reefer madness hysteria, courtesy of hearst date News Campaign propaganda. I would like to introduce the moderator for our first panel at this point. Fake news, the role and responsibilities of journalists and reversing the narrative of the war on drugs. Our moderator is terrel derain starr. Terrel Jermaine Starr is a Senior Reporter at the root. He has more than five years of journalism experience in public radio, television, magazines, and online reporting. He lives in ukraine as a fulbright fellow in georgia as a peace corps volunteer. Star has over 4 years of experience living in the former soviet union. He is currently writing a book puzzle that analyzes u. S. Russian relations from a black perspective. We are honored to have him with us here today. Please join me in welcoming to the stage, terrel Jermaine Starr. [ applause ] go, okay, good. Excellent. So, first of all, this is the first panel. So, welcome everybody. Yall feel good . There we go. There we go. So, look. Were going to start this off and give everyone a chance to speak. So, everyone will introduce themselves and i have got an introduction already. So yall know, im terrel jermaine restart, reported with root. And i am starting to write about the intersection of how marijuana can lead people off of opioid addiction among other things, right . So, one key thing, were going to have about 15 minutes with q a. And, some basic rules is that you hear the speakers talk, think about the question that you would like to ask. Simple rules. I know that everybody in here has some dope experiences. But its about the panelists. So, we dont need to hear about your mix takes tapes. We dont need to hear about your own books. We dont need to hear about the concert that youre kind of pushing. We get a. You know. But when you ask a question, ask a question. The thing that, you know, the question mark. Okay. So, that simply it. So, i will just start off, i will start right here. So, everyone introduced themselves. With the question, what are some troubling trends in media that you have all observed you know, in the media. Sure. Everybody its great to be back at the policy summit. I am the social Justice Commissioner in massachusetts. We have five commissioners that regulate legal marijuana. And, our five areas of expertise, public spacing, public health, government regulation, business, social justice. We make all of our decisions in public from those perspectives. Before that for context, i spent about 15 years as an activist. And, i had a law practice, and, working with businesses to start cannabis, like to start cannabis businesses really showed me how difficult the licensing process was and how high the barrier to entry was. So, thats what i focused my activism the past few years. And, i started a firm with a focus on recruiting for the cannabis industry, with a focus on diversity. And, now i basically look at how the to make sure the industry is fair and diverse as possible. We do that through a number of different ways. But primarily through a social equity program. So, i guess that answers the question by say, there is a lack of sophistication in the media around how these programs are being discussed. And, it is becoming more apparent, i think, as mentioned, new york, new jersey, connecticut, illinois, all of these states are making it a forefront of their legalization discussions, as to how we can be fair to communities that were disproportionately harmed. So, in massachusetts, we are trying different things. We tried giving priority in the licensing process to people, to applicants who could show that they promote Economic Empowerment in those communities. We are also launching our social equity program, which provides Technical Assistance to applicants from those communities. And c waivers and other benefits. But what i find is that often in the media, it is just sort of oversimplified and summarized as massachusetts is trying something for people of color. They are trying something for minoritys. It is not going that well. So, when we are going through a painstaking process to be transparent, to talk about these programs, which in the case of this local equity program, we havent even launched yet. Were trying to get people to apply. Were trying to get trainers to apply. That attitude and lack of sophistication is very difficult. And my hope is that as we start to do more programs at different states, that there will be more detail and more understanding. Excellent. Thank you very much. From new york. About the media i said the point before that when media starts writing about how this has been driven by the money, and thats how we got here, it is just not right. It is dishonest. Its like some sort of projecting backward from what happened out. Heres the other issue. Media oftentimes uses the language, probe pot to talk about the Marijuana Reform movement. I know that many of my colleagues, my staff, the activists and donors and all that sort of stuff are not so hot. Their antimarijuana prohibition. Antithe war on drugs. So, calling them probe pot with some of us were, but many were not, is just, its like calling the reproductive Rights Movement, proabortion or something. And i just needs to stop and we need to call it out. Right . The next thing is, when we one that California Initiative in 2016 a couple of years ago, right . And it was big and all the stuff, but you see the media is understandably focused on the industry, industry, industry because it is exciting, dynamic a new. But the thing that moves so many of us, literally, the days and the week after we won, was we were getting reports back around california of judges and others, just telling people in jail for weeks and months for marijuana cards charge, get out here. Were not going to wait for the law to take effect. Those cases of people getting the freedom because of the loss that we have passed, that was the thing that brought all of us to tears. That included some of the folks, some of the pioneers in the industry folks, people like aaron smith or troy davis coming out of the Reform Movement as well. The last one i just want to say about this as well, is that, you know, marijuana is getting legalize all over the place. But meanwhile, marijuana arrests have barely come down from 700,000 and 600,000. You got to state like new jersey, which is on the verge of legalizing, but marijuana arrests of that up in the last year. There are still 600,000 people still disproportionately young man of color getting busted for week. There are still people losing their jobs, testing positive for weed when they are doing well on the job. There are still people, their horrible things going on. The war on marijuana is going on and on and on and on and on. And i want to see media covering that story. Right. You know, thats an excellent point. One of the things i have learned about media, is, reporters are human beings. And we tend to cover people we can get access to. Right . And, the industry is good because ultimately, what you find is that so many people are , they go in, they lean on the industry, because, going to those people who are most marginalized in the neighborhood. There hearted access because a lot of times those communities dont trust reporters. Justifiably so. Right . So, just tell us about yourself and your work. Tell us some of the things that you see in the Media Coverage that is often covered incorrectly. Yes, the. This is incredibly, just, i am learning a lot. I dont follow drug policy explicitly. I cover immigration and, you know, policing at a local level. Which means that i cover drug policy. So, sort of communal, the war on drugs. The things that stem from it have really all the policies. I think, you know, just to talk a little bit about myself, i work with and i work with city which is our website about cities. And like i mentioned, some of my a urban policy. Our cities have built, how they are right now. Also, immigration policy, which as you know, theres a lot happening on that front. So, i would just answer your question, terrel, by saying, the center for reinforcing, i think what my colleagues here just said, which is that, when i want to report what i see out there. You know, i feel like the narratives are really silent. Theres a school like, news a wave of reporting on the industry. But there is not a lot of connecting the dots. Some of us are still light, working on giving the context for it. Why we are here with respect immigration. Wiley here with respect to criminal Justice Policy and what is actually happening and where. That populations are increasing and whether not increasing. And was that about . So, some of us are trying to give that context. I think is not a lot of connecting the dots across those, you know, sort of different beats, i would say almost. Because they are not really different beats. Needs to have major intersections that we come i think as an industry, as a general is some has to sort of think about it a little bit more. The second thing that i want to briefly mention, which i think about a lot, especially with respect to you know, the war on drugs and the immigration, is that, i think about the limits of Fact Checking sometime. Because, there is some narratives that have so much play from such powerful society, that i have, in the past couple of years, then frustrated with our own abilities to keep trying to correct those narratives. These are the facts, right . Because we have all seen they are not working right now. I think mark, the conclusion i have come to, its very i would love to hear from the other about this. The narrative and offering context. I feel like it is something we could do as journalists. And have just laying that out maybe would make a bit of a difference. Thank you so much. I appreciate that. Up and down, whats your take . Tell everyone who you are first. So, i am dan adams from cannabis report of the boston globe. I used to get to say that i was the cannabis reporter at the boston globe. Teaching fulltime, which is really an incredible and unusual investment by a mainstream outlet and people who are specifically focused on this topic. I think its really important that you know, some of my fellow panelist brought up the idea of a narrative. Im sure you have all noticed, watching the media cover a particular subject sometimes can be like watching a bunch of kindergartners play soccer. They just follow the ball over the field and position, right . And, in other words, what they are their chasing the story of the day. And especially for reporters that dont cover a full time. They struggle to bring that context to bear. Like the function. We call it parachuting. That was something. Used to be a general assignment guy. So i know that world well. Im acutely aware of the role that an organization like the globe plays in our media market. We really have an opportunity to kind of set the narrative, frankly. Other outlets look to us to sort of tell everybody, what are we talking about . What is the conversation . Where is the focus going . So, i feel like, it requires intentionality on our part. We have, for example, have covered equity allotted massachusetts. We have done that by trying to share the microphone with a really broad diversity of people. Getting out into those Community Spaces like accessing those sources that are not going to send you a press release. Maybe even think to pick up the phone or maybe not even want to welcome you in the room. And it takes time and it takes trust building. And it takes consistent, good nuanced coverage that acknowledges, for example, that we are not just writing about a brandnew industry. Its an industry thats been around a long time. It is newly legal. But its not new. And, having those sort of nuanced points in stories helps build trust with those communities that may be reluctant to talk to us because it is so important to bring their voices to the forefront. And at the globe we try to be very intentional about whom we quote, include in the stories, and make sure that, you know, because we are the one sort of telling everyone where to run oftentimes, like where is the light shining . Where is the conversation going . That is not something that i want to do by accident. That is not something where we want to let our unconscious bias drive the bus. Because a lot of other people are going to follow what we do. So, we are acutely aware of that responsibility. And we try to wield it responsibly. But thanks a lot. I just want to set the stage for the next question, which is, how did this really crappy covered start. I just want to open it up with my own experience. What i started to report, i was in graduate school, 26 years old. And i started up at the student newspaper. So could just imagine, im 26 years old, working with 18 and 19 years old. I was at the university of illinois. So most of the students are coming in. There from the suburbs of chicago. And i will never forget the fact that there was a fight on my campus that the black student union. And, 4 different Law Enforcement agencies came to investigate that fight. And on the front page of the student newspaper, it was about this fight. The front page story for three straight days. Of fight. Now, mind you, i am at the university of illinois, that the largest number of communal, sororities and fraternities in the country, as far as the houses being on campus. In these white people do all the craziest stuff. That we can imagine. Yet, you dont see any of their crap on the front page. So, i was the only black reporter who was covering newspaper. They were people covering entertainment. But i was the first newsperson. And i knew what i was trying to get stories from the black teens, they would not talk to me precisely because of that type of coverage. So, it starts young. The coverage on the mentality of how we look at people and people start young. Going into this next question, the 70s in particular, the war on drugs. Light, that terminology, the war on drugs. I just want to start up with dan and. Am pretty sure you can talk about this, is just talk about, you know, how did this narrative start . You know, how did the coverage really take root to tell the story as incorrectly as it has. Start with dan. You can followup. Well, books have been written on the subject and i wont pretend, im not going to take us through going all the way back to the 1930s and that kind of propaganda. You know, i do think people forget that in the 1970s, there was actually a pretty strong Decriminalization Movement in this country. There were a number of states that actually passed laws in that genre. There was actually a pretty respectful nuanced public conversation about whether that was the right thing to do. And in fact, the globe itself endorsed legalization in 1971. January 1971. We had 6 reporters spend months. I think more than half a year, investigating the question of whether we ought to, you know, continue to criminalize marijuana. And, they used some really pioneering reporting techniques. They went out to california and put in Public Record request. They were able to see that one fifth of all criminal cases in californias court system or for simple marijuana possession. So, they started asking the question at that time, is this a good use of our resources . And after six months, they came to the conclusion that no it wasnt. We had a front page, not an editorial. It was reported story that included with the call for legalization. I think, we and many other outlets really probably lost our way somewhat during the 80s. And, its an example of how powerful the narrative. Once the narrative changes at the national level, once the government is sort of putting out this drumbeat of negative coverage, there were folks black peoples. Absolutely. Community where people were, where the issue was taking place. It was black people. Thats right. This is what i want to take it back to what i was saying about intentionality. Because, it is possible to write a lot of stories, that in their individual individuality, accurate. Dan was arrested at 123 main street with x amount of marijuana. On the state. And that could be true. But, if thats the only story that you ever write about marijuana, one after the other after the other after the other, you have to think about what the cumulative effect of that is. And so, i think news outlets like the globe and others are responsible for the narratives that they create. And they have a responsibility to step back and ask, and it all together. What is our coverage telling people about the subject . And i think that that was something that didnt happen for far too long. And it is something we are trying to change the. What he saying about the 70s, wonderful book, high in america by Patrick Anderson about the 70s when 11 states decriminalize marijuana and the Carter Administration actually introduce the federal, not legalization, but decriminalization bill. So, yes. There is that history. Two, they were saying in the 80s, it kind of slipped away as a drug or heats up. Keep in mind, that drug war was very much a bipartisan, multi partisan, multiracial war on drugs. Right . There were a small number of people standing up against it. I years is conservative, milton buckley, kurt freeman, mayor of baltimore, you. It was like mccarthyism on steroids. Right . Public hysteria and such. Reporters just got swept up on the. The notion of drug reporting was jumping in the back of a cop car and going on a rate or a bust. And the New York Times and Washington Post being made major Media Outlets were as guilty as the most scandalous press. The stuff that they cover when you look back at it now, was like yellow journalism. The old stuff. Ugly, stupid, what have you. Years later, max frankel, who is the executive editor of the New York Times and retired. He writes a piece and he says, you know, its time for our professionals, journalism professionals, its like what happened in the vietnam your. The first year, the reporters jumped on the rv did all this thing and covered it like they were part of the team. And at some point, others in the world say wait a second. Theres a lot of stuff going on thats not true. And he says, its time for reporters to do that. To cover this thing critically, as war. To be war reporters, you dont just join in, but actually look critically at a. Not easy to do. But thats again to happen. Those you want to say about this thing, as you know, lets remember, we are very conscious now with good reason of the racism that permeates the war on drugs in the war on marijuana. The origins of marijuana criminalization, going back to discrimination prejudice against mexicanamericans, migrants, thats a dystopic we know the disproportionate effect on, especially black and brown populations of the stuff that you heard and barbara lee saying right there. But at the same time, i dont want to rewrite history in this area as well. Because i remember the ferocious opposition i would get 2030 years ago. I would be up there late 80s and 90s, talk about the moronta, were on marijuana, more war on their minority communities. These were the things that my young colleagues today and i would have, not just white senior political figures, but black senior political figures, going after me. Who are you to be saying this . Charlie lange wrangles and Jesse Jacksons might debate opponents, not my allies as they are today. Lets not whitewash or black wash, or whatever you want to call it, the history here. There was something going on. And accounting of this thing. What we are talking about, bringing in racial justice, dont wipe out the history of how much complicity there was in the war on drugs. But by white liberals, brown, black, or what have you. Now, we have to keep pressing on this thing. Thats a thing. Its about educating journalists, taking the time, pushing them to do the right story. When they write a story and to get the facts wrong. Get it right in the face politely and sometimes not politely. They fix it up. I know you have something. Yeah, i just want to quickly know. I think there is an affirmative duty. If youre part of an institution that parses participated in this, even if you didnt participate personally. I think there is an affirmative duty to try and address that. And, i think about some of the campaigns i was involved in as an activist. And, in the early days especially, there was a lot of what has been termed white exceptionalism, where you call for legalization by referring to the underground market of the illegal market as the black market, the violent gangs, the cartels, and setting up this idea where we need to move it to a regulated market, and you use words and language that imply, really, that it is a white market. So, i use some of that language. Now, i regretted. And i say so openly. And i try to make up for it. And i think in the same way that if you are part of a Media Institution that started the war on drugs, that you know, in massachusetts, there was the first day to actually make cannabis illegal. They call it indianhead. They didnt even try to hide their races on. And i think if youre part of that now, it is on you to try and fix it. Yeah, so its a good point, that you are bringing up. And part of my job is to interview a wide range of questions dealing with drug reform. Right . And i deal with, and, one of the candidates, im not going to name the person because it doesnt make any point to it. But, you know, the candidate said that, you know, people think that black people dont want more policing. No, they actually do. They want more policing. And im looking at this person, i think he, you know what . Of course, if the only option to deal with the social problem that was constructed by White Supremacy, is that you are going to give them more police, yes, they are going to take that option if thats the only one you will give them. Right . The only option that you get people, please, please, more police without understanding social, Economic Educational conditions, is not going to change anything. So, i think its incumbent upon us to push back against these people and not want to be there friends and want to take selfies with them i want to be a part of the little crew. Because was very clubby industry that people dont want to take. But it very much is. People really want to be, you know, ingrained within, with the elite of the people that they are supposed to cover with objectivity. Right . So, i want to move forward and talk with in particular about communal, particularly about immigration enforcement. And, you know, the criminal justice apparatus that exists and how the war, the narrative on the war on drugs intersects with, you know, with immigration. Can you just absolutely. So, im going to give a couple facts about where we are today. And maybe, draw from a couple of the historical points that brought up. Because i think there is, like, with a lot of things that everyone said. So, if you are an immigrant, whether you are undocumented or you are in the process of citizenship, right . So, i have a green card. Having a small amount of marijuana can get you deported. Okay . That is still the case. It does not matter if state and local laws, you, whether its a civil infraction because the way that Immigration Laws are set up. If it its a federal crime, still. It is absolutely to a deportable offense. Even, so, even if you, even if you dont have a connection, just admitting that you have, or deal with marijuana, or you know, or in any way related to it can create a problem for you and integration process. So, there is that. That is the reality today. And i think that a lot of the, you know, what you have heard about the war on drugs, really with what we heard about immigrants right now. You know, sort of just, take a step back look at it historically. Some of the big, of course, the war on drugs, some of the big laws that were passed in the region reagan and clinton administrations actually have set up the system as it is today, whether that is enforcement. So, folks who are inside the country, who may have lived here forever, may not really, again, you know, have a conviction or be criminals as they are called by the administration and previous administrations, will be deported for Something Like this, right . The second is, at the border, right . The border is by the way, stretches we are inside the borders of right now, which means, if customs and Border Protection often serve were here. Of course if there is any marijuana on my body, i would be, you know, that would be the end of it. So, the systems have been set up because of how those laws got, dovetailed. They were both sort of overlapping Immigration Law with criminal justice, with criminal law. And, you know, kind of, what i like to think of it as like kind of a frankenstein like monster. The war on drugs, the war on terrorism. And, just like that criminal Justice Policy, all kind of, you know, in one package. Thats what we are really seeing today. So, you know a couple of things that you say, for example. You can, this thing about going on drug busts or rates. That is very much still being covered when it comes to immigration. Right . The people are going with ice and covering how sensation away. You know, so, i think that we are, were still not there yet when it comes to covering immigration. And affect of, specifically of immigrants. As it pertains to, you know, drug policy. At all. I dont think connecting those dots. Even though the basically the same thing. Im going to let ethan speak. So, after we do this number going to move on to the next question because im trying to be efficient with the organizers with time as possible. And we started at 1005. I wanted to add, i dont im trying to make sure we can go through 10 00. R, 11 00. Where is she . Somebody tell me. Go ahead. To add on to what youre saying about the intersection of immigration, and the Marijuana Reform issue. Tell you, it california, there was an effort in california 2010 to legalize marijuana. Was led by richard lee, medical marijuana activist in the bay area. And, we all got involved with him. It was a rare case of an initiative winning, even the loss. Because it transformed the national discussion. It made legalization look real because it got so close. But what we found in the polling, was that white and black were relatively in support, close to 50 but hispanic and chicano, leaned against. And the worst sect of all, the entire population were older latinos. Like 90 oppose. Right . So we knew we had the fix is in some way or another. So as we move forward, dpa, the advantage of working not just the Marijuana Reform, but ending the entire war on drugs and also dealing with drugs is a health issue, gave us an edge. What happened around 20142015, where a number what we call immigration bill. Addressing the ways in which the criminal Justice System and even criminal Justice Reform could actually backfire on immigration issues. Akamai staff, one of my colleagues for in our la office got involved and played a pivotal role in building coalitions with latino and immigration groups around these criminal gratian bills. One which jerry brown sign. Want to think he vetoed. Then we built our with the immigration groups. The next year when the initiative is coming long, in a position to say guys, we delivered for you. On crimigration issues. Will you now step up with us on the Ballot Initiative to legalize marijuana . And, in a significant shift from what had happened in 2010, a huge proportion of the immigration and latino groups stepped up, joined with the coalition, to dictate the portion of the latino population sporting legalization increased and played a key role in the victory. I want to add another thing to go when we think about immigration, the element of it, we cannot forget our local policing. Because local policing works in concert with organizations like ice. Right . And so, when you think about people who are stop on the streets, a lot of people are not realizing that black immigrants in particular, those of from the caribbean, those from continental africa, are more likely to be deported, like at higher rates in the region. Why is that black folks are stopped in frist all the time. Right . If you find out the person is an immigrant, they are referred to ice. That happens all the time. So, just imagine being a young, being a black hearse and walking down the street. You are stopped by the nypd. You have communal, marijuana on you, and you are undocumented. Then, you are automatically put into the system. Of all the systems work in concert with one another. It is just something important for us to keep, very briefly, if you know, very, very briefly. Just on that point, i wanted to mention that i did a really, started an investigation and mapped the border zone, which is, you know, 75 of hispanics live in the border zone. And, one thing that is, i wanted to mention, with the check point set customs and Border Patrol set up in these border zones, which have known to be only efficient at stopping people who are legally allowed to be in the country with small amounts of marijuana. That is the thing that we found, according to bust custom and Border Protection own data. That sort of system is good for. By the way, they are not actually supposed to be for general crime enforcement. They are supposed to specifically for be for immigration enforcement. But this is what theyre doing. Thats a good point. Think what everybody in this room obviously understands is the only reason why journalists are able to do anything or push them anything. Journalist pretty much very much focus on public officials. Because activists push the subject to the point where you cant ignore it anymore. And, i think that in this conversation, i want everybody to leave feeling empowered about how they can use media in order to push the narrative. And i want to bring an example of social media being at its best use in 2014 with the killing of Michael Brown in missouri. And it wasnt the people who were really telling the stories in the most nuanced ways were not the local, trained media. It was activists on the ground with smart phones. Right . So, if it was not for them, then a lot of stories would have been told inaccurately, right . So, there is a way that journalists feel that we are the only people who are supposed is tell stories and that 24 karat bs. You all have the ability to tell stories. You may not necessarily be a journalist but you can tell your story. What talk to charlene about how important has been kind of pushing this, combating this negative narrative about the war on drugs and how can we be empowered to work with activism . What can we learn from them, in order to really tell their stories . First, i just want to say how grateful i am that donley is on this panel. Because its making me realize that when we have these conversations, we so often forget, immigrants who use drugs are people. Sex workers who use drugs are people. People with records are people. Great to hear that included. So, very effective. I think activism is very effective in this conversation. Dr. Needleman brought up the coalition in 2010. That was built for the California Initiative. That coalition is still very active online. And i think that is an example of all of these tightknit communities that are built around cannabis. And a really unique way. Where, in massachusetts, we ran a social justice campaign. We built a Strong Coalition there. And there is still very much in touch and mobilized. And all of this is not happening in a vacuum. There is, in general, with media, a change where younger people, especially. I think people of all ages, they are not getting the media from the same institutions anymore. The getting the media on my. There preferring context and analysis versus some of the old models. So, when you look at those two factors together, and also consider that in cannabis, you can become a subject Matter Expert actually fairly easily if you just sit down and read the regulations, or you are paying attention to whats going on in your states. It is not as establishment driven as in other areas. For example, if any of you fellow marijuana moments. Tom angels newsletter, he is entirely selftaught, self made. And it is from him just following the news really well. There is someone in massachusetts. You may know that mergers and acquisitions are really big deal in massachusetts now. There is a two woman Compliance Firm called galen diligence. I actually get a lot of my news from her twitter, because she follows all of the, she follows the rest releases that come about comes out about acquisitions any comments on the. In general, i think activists can be really responsive to news. They can add context, analysis, and they can use these giant coalitions that we have built to be impactful. Thank you so much. Down, briefly before we move on to the final questions we have time for q a. I just wanted to add that you know, at the globe, we work with Advocacy Groups a lot. Not because as objective reporters, its not our place to sort of health and for the policy objectives, or help advance or cause or anything like that. But, you know, it is so important to get real, authentic voices in our paper. For example, when youre talking about a community like, like immigrants. Those can be people who may be afraid to speak up to have their name of the paper. And an Advocacy Group is a great portal into a Larger Community that you might not have access to personally as a reporter. So, i find that those groups are very helpful for us to connect with. The voices that we actually need to hear more from in the paper. I think the media has a really Strong Authority bias. You guys talked about this, right . Like the right along Something Like that. Is not that those are illegitimate stories on their own. Its just that, if those are the only stories you are writing, you really not doing your job. So, another thing that is happening in massachusetts, the conversation has moved way past whether to legalize. Now, were talking about how to legalize. Who profits from this newly Legal Industry . And, there are a lot of factions within propot, as you rightfully said. That is way too simple a moniker. And, so, something we have tried to do is write about the different Advocacy Groups which have actually competing policy priorities in many cases. And actually illuminate the differences between them and show the full diversity of thought within those communities. Its a good point. I wanted to come as we get into our final question, which is, theres third people of cover covering, you know, drugs in general and the cannabis industry. We want to talk about why that is. Wanted to touch on something when you talk about objectivity. Not saying this directly to you or to anyone. But, i work in a black run, kind a black woman run website. The root. And i come from, much of the term objectivity, its a very, its a very problematic term. And, the way that i look at objectivity, it is a function, objectivity within the concept of journalism, is a philosophy that is based on a white supremacist construct. Right . Because when you think about the way that different media objectivity to me as a person who has been directed impacted by the different narratives on the war on drugs, both my uncles sold drugs. The way that i grew up in that environment and the way that i see these people, is that my family are completely different. I look at the reason behind them selling. I see them as entrepreneurs within a white supremacist construct that gave them no other choice. Right . So, objectivity is something that people who have no stakes involved in the subject, right . Thats the way up to look at it. When you think about black media, but media has always, you think about some of the famous black newspapers that were actually teaching black folk how to integrate up north for a better life. Right . So, they had to be activists, because it was our lives that were at stake. Okay . So, i think that when we talk about Media Coverage, you have to think about what the subject is and who has a personal stake in what they are doing. And i think, no, my final question, i might be a little shorter with this one. I want to ask people on the panel very briefly to kind of talk about, theres a dearth of media, people of color covering the subjects. I want to ask you how problematic you think, what kind of problems can that lead to . So many problems. I mean, you know, one thing that i want to, seems to be coming out just generally at some of the subjects we have covered in this conversation and so much more, is that these are institutional, systemic things. The narratives. And systems that have been creative, and is not like any one person or the other. But, that includes a journalism industry. We are not we just look at any publication. This is a huge problem. And then, you know, even within that, there is, even a smaller faction of journalists of color covering these issues. So, and there is good and there is reasons for that. They dont want to write personal agency and choice doing , covering what they want to. But, you know a lot of journalist, young journalists often come to me and the like, well, you covered all of this to. Like i dont want to be pigeonholed. I dont want to go to an organization and have them be like, oh, youre immigrant. You should cover immigrant issues. Or, your block, you should cover these issues. That is also an imposition and that assumption based on certain assumptions. So, on one hand i understand that. But i want to say is like, you know, and this goes back to the objectivity thing. I can leave who i am at the door. For me, im just can use it. To tell better stories. So, i think that is really something that we need to be thinking about a little bit more. Really does tie into your, what you were saying about objectivity. I think, you know, fairness and balance are really great things that as journalists, we should be fair and balance. But i dont think, all of us are human. We can be subject to. So, when you are looking at a system that is already steeped in, you know, in a certain direction. We have to take a step back and kind of think about that. So, i want to do, so, we have like 15 minutes left. Take a couple of seconds out. Like to hear what you have to say very briefly. If you wanted to add something. Yeah. So, let me just be provocative here. On the one hand, we know that sort of racism in the history, especially with whites and blacks in america, is a sort of defining characteristic of our nations history. And it has permeated the criminal Justice System and all the other simple systems that im so pathetic to the poinsettia been made you. We have to be conscious of it. It is obviously shaped issues of the war on drugs in the way people think about the harms of the war on drugs. But i want to make make another point here. Especially because, as is a drug policy reform person with a the next frontier is trying to end the criminalization of all drug session, so that like portugal so that nobody goes to jail for the possession of any substance of the not hurting anybody else. Also thinking about legal supply especially with the overdose epidemic. But there is anotherism that permeates our society. In the world. For lack of a better word, it is not a good word. Lets call it drug is in. There is a level of discrimination, right . And, ignorance, and prejudice across white bright about. With respect to people who use drugs. Druggist prejudice, druggist and i. So, i could it could be a White Reporter or a black reporter. But they tense up around drug use or drugs, it was going to be a problem. If we were talking about ecstasy. People saying whether journalists are activist. This even as were making some progress alas 3040 years in dealing with racism in our society. Legitimizing racism in its most formal element. Druggist and emerges as the new legitimate bigotry and prejudice in our society. You talk about junkies and drug addicts in the sense even though is not seen as race, but is not just that. The things we do to people solely because of what they choose to put in their body is a vicious form of discrimination. And that is the one that we have to dig a lot more deeper to uproot. Absolutely. Thank you so much. I think i wanted to leave this toward the end. We can talk about any of these things until we have a wider conversation about White Supremacy. Right . And i want to leave this by saying, all these things are White Supremacy. I look at media as a tool of White Supremacy. Media, as i have grown to understand it, has functioned in this country is nothing more than the white mans diary. That is what it is. Tells white stories for white audiences from white perspectives. From a very puritanical point of view, where shame is involved. For example, talking about the use of drugs. And i say this as somebody who is a journalist, who grew up in a house or both my uncles sold drugs. Whatever that narrative, those neighborhoods that people were that the reporters were covering. I saw those reporters come into my neighborhood when something bad happened. I saw my grandmother refuse regularly to talk to reporters anytime some act of violence. You have to remember is a six yearold kid, that is something that is built into me. I have a masters degree in journalism. Ive covered stories run this well. But i will never forget looking up at my grandmother, speaking to this blonde, blueeyed white woman on several occasions, telling her, no. So, it influenced what i do in my work and the book that i am working on deals with explaining how foreignpolicy works through the perspective of my uncles who sold drugs. Because, as i came to find out, as i started traveling, diplomats pretty much function as drug dealers. The white house is a trap house. They function just like that. Right . So, if you dont come from that background when you really dont speak, youre not gonna look at it like that. Right . So, youre also working at a black publication where i am empowered to tell those types of stories. So, i have a number of colleagues at major publications that i wont name who have to take an extra shot in the evening because they have to deal with the white person who just doesnt get it. And thats the reality. Thats just the reality, right . Youre not in the fight. So, its time for the q a. And, again, who has a question . And yes. Just briefly. I have to be objective, too. As a regulator. And i feel like i am in the same spot as a white journalist sometimes, because there are no black or latino people in my commission. The black have to play the game, too. But thats another story. Is just, its so obvious to me no matter how much i tried to learn and be objective, and i would give a shout out to the Drug Policy Alliance on the boston globe newsletter this week that have done a really good job to move the conversation forward productively. If you are not black or latino, you will never have those experiences. How many black and latino journalists on this issue. Many black and latino regulators, perry. Absolutely. I dont have the q a as going to work so i guess everyones gonna stand up, taking my take a mike. You go right there. Reporter you should line up and i will point out people until the next 10 minutes are up, i guess. So, tell us your name and whats your question, whoevers on the panel good morning everybody. My name is debs. The question i want to ask this panel is, is, im glad that they talk about the Opioid Epidemic right now. But theres a quiet you know what im saying, epidemic with spice. K2. Its not synthetic marijuana. Number 1. Its pretty much destroying africanamerican men who are in the system that have to use that drug, because during 2011, they were testing people for k2 because it cost like 1000 to test in order youre saying for those drugs, youre saying to be in. By the time that person is on probation, they are still on k2. So, while you are there are you not talking about spice as much as are talking about the opioid dependency . Got you. Thank you so much. Anybody want to take that . Well, i mean, its a legitimate issue. Some of the big market for spice was because people were being tested for marijuana. You be in the probation, parole system are in the military whatever. You get positive. Of people turning to spice because its not synthetic marijuana. All that stuff given random names and nobody knows exactly whats in it. So, it is a serious issue. The issue about introducing doug checking for the people using these drugs on the streets or whatever, whether it is opioids are the synthetics of the k2s know what the doing. That something you see more and more pop up around europe, beginning at the u. S. I think thats an important way to deal with it. I dont think what we need to be doing is testing people for k2. Because drug testing people and punishing them is basically the wrong way to go. Thank you. Briefly because i want to get i would say that this is one of those issues where it helps to have a reporter who is like full time on drug issues and can do the work unpacking and explaining for the readers what actually is k2. Why isnt it synthetic marijuana . Why is it different than that . Why is that phrase a misnomer. And not, it comes back to that of doherty bias i was talking about. You cant just accept necessarily, the polices description or characterization of a substance. You actually have to go out and say, what actually is a substance . And, thats what were trying to do. Thats the thing people dont know. We are trained to accept the police perspective. So, i would just say when it comes to that, theres an education i think that the media can help with by explaining what is really going on there. Just in general, just talking about people who consume drugs, in a respectful, nonjudgmental way. It is not a place. We dont have to be judge, jury and executioner. Think the best journalism is journalism that moves toward specific. The talks about specific people, instead of large groups of people far away. Thank you so much. Your next. My name is gary sign. The director florida normal. I also have the Political Action committee called partisan clinical Action Committee in florida. Have also been a journalist. Used to work for the post tuesday section. I try to educate advocates, journalists, and legislators. And, phase in medicine his junior harm. The question. Im going to head to the question. With a journalist is always about words matter. And i been trying to change the lexicon in florida for a long time. The words marijuana and cannabis. You do Quick Research in the field, you get two different lists entirely. Heres where they overnight. That needs to be some kind of consistency. But the other word i am working on right now is, when you get the word recreational out of our lexicon because, the opposite of recreational is not medical. It is professional. So, legislators a look at addison they had a conflict a person that is recreational is not professional, who is not productive and most likely on the beach. I am asking, the words responsible adult use in place of recreational. A couple of things within that. One is that one thing i am involved with trying to put together sort of a society professional cannabis journalists. And what i would like to do is create resources for those reporters who dont have the luxury like i do have covering this fulltime. Sort of a glossary and faq. Resources that they can lean on when they are on deadline and they got to quickly write that story and they dont necessarily have time to unpack the nuances of marijuana versus cannabis and all that. I dont want to defend the work of recreational too much. Just as you do appreciate that in the media, we have a tough balance to strike sometime of using words that are commonly and widely understood by a large general audience and that are not jargon a. Think adult uses something that is maybe on the cusp of becoming better understood there. And that could change with time. Thank you, ben. Thats an excellent point. Thing people dont really appreciate the ways in which we have to balance the various, you know, audiences and the language. There is a loaded way to use that word. Very much so. In a more dispassionate way of using that word. Context matters a lot. The tone riding around that matters a lot. Yes. Hi. I know you. My name is deborah and i am coming to this from a bit of a different perspective, which is, i am a retired department of justice attorney from the criminal division. And, two things occur to me in listening to this whole thing. The first is that marijuana has kind of been decriminalized for the white population forever. Basically. That said, back to the narrative on the war on drugs, and i would like the journalists to address this. Is that, and you touched on it a little bit. All the journalists have touched on it. But that is that police have a narrative that they want to get out. The sort of the purpose for them. And, the drug reporting tends to just be a police narrative, which i consider a kind of lazy journalism, because you are just parroting a police narrative, which serves their purpose, which helps them get convictions, and its kind of noncritical. How do you break out of that type of reporting . I see it across the board on all Crime Reporting. And especially drugs. Thank you very much. You want to take that . Yeah. I completely know what youre talking about. I think shine reporting is just, i would like to, i think point to what, i mean i guess its easy for me to say, too. Because i cover policing. So, i can actually take a step back and look at the broader sort of narrative that, strategies that the police is sort of sending and be able to be critical about that. Right . Because, i dont specifically cover crime. I think Crime Reporting maybe, maybe you can talk to this a little bit. But i think its kind of like dying out. Even hopefully, because i think incremental coverage, again, does not connect the dots. Doesnt give you the context. And his not able to challenge so i would say the journalists are able to take a step back is the way to do it. Right. So, a quick point about. Thinking about the issues and marijuana arrests. You have a problem. Crime reported to want to alienate the police because those are the sources in the same way you have the kind of bias. One of the things you do about that, inc. About harry levine. University professor. Harry levine arrest. He is not just analysis reporting, writing reports that lead to major aclu report that helps reframe the issue of why the cops rest so many people for weed and why it is so racially disproportionate is pivotal. There with that same guy it was doing that is in forming relationships with journalists and editorialist, improve looting brent who just won a Pulitzer Prize and edit educating them thats part of what makes change happens. The way marijuana has been traveled an example for new york and other places is radically different than the way it was covered 68, even 10 years ago. I hope i can get you. But were going in this order. So, my i represent alternative news media association. We rep present city paper and i think boston which im sure youre familiar with, dan. We, you know, we dont have necessarily objectivity problem. Because we have always been, you know, promarijuana and had a natural, you know, suspicion of the police and police narratives and government narratives. I guess my question is, we have had a diversity problem. The weekly industry. Im usually the only brown person in the room at our conventions. So, you know, we dont have the objectivity problem most of our papers have 420 issues coming out this week. But, how can our papers, who are consisting mostly white, younger White Reporters, cover this letter from a diversity angle, and cover racially Racial Equity issues . We have a couple more minutes. So, who wants to top us off with that . Anyone . So, i guess, ill go for it. So, one of the challenges and Mainstream Media newsrooms is that the gateway into journalism is extremely difficult and near impossible to break. So, i was able to get an internship when i was a graduate student. So, i basically was able, i had to work for free. And most people of color cannot afford to work for free. You will be amazed at the ways in which your white colleagues are able to get these jobs. You know, those are ways we cannot, because mommy and daddy is underwriting their expenses. And im not saying all white people are like that. But in many cases, it is. So, again, we can talk about this without talking about White Supremacy and economic inequity and the flatout raises some of what we consider to be a qualified person. To be a writer. Right . So, i know we have to ended, but ultimately, until we deal with the white supremacist construct, that formulates journalism, it will not change, just like policing will not change because it cannot be reformed. Just like certain aspects of the criminalization, drugs cannot be reformed. Something you have to abolish. So, until you get an abolitionist approach to dealing with these things and these problems, its like putting a bandaid on, you know, a gunshot wound. So, this is kind of it for a panel. I hope you enjoyed yourself. Im sorry. Just wish we couldve got to you. Time is up. Thank you so much. Please enjoy the rest of the day. [ music ] good morning. My name is luke jones and i am director of legislative affairs for the maryland state chapter of the National Organization for the reform of marijuana laws. Commonly known as normal. Our goals are the same today as they were when our organization was founded in 1970. To move public up pinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of marijuana by adults. Public support for this goal 40 years ago when we got started on this journey was only about 12 . Public support today is about 60 . And it is about 50 across all Major Political parties. We are motivated to do this work, not because we love marijuana. We do this work because we love liberty. We are motivated by a nonpartisan belief that we must maintain a High Standard for when to deprive a person of their liberty. And the risks posed by society to society by responsible use for adults does not justify depriving a person of the liberty