On Thursday, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser urged the D.C. Council to pass a law allowing marijuana to be sold commercially in the city, promising more tax revenue and more jobs.
Since the city broadened the legal boundaries of marijuana a few years ago, it鈥檚 also been hampered by pushback from congress, which forbids the city from spending any money at all to further legalize the drug. But while the legality of legalizing the commercial sales of marijuana is debated, some in the city are also asking if it鈥檚 the right thing to do.
Will Jones is a Deanwood resident involved in the group Smart Approaches to Marijuana, , and he鈥檚 been on the forefront of trying to in the city.
鈥淲hen I walk out the front door of my house in any direction, the first store I get to is a liquor store,鈥� said Jones. And if he walks further and gets to a convenience store 鈥渋t鈥檒l be so plastered with advertisements for alcohol, for tobacco, for the lottery, that I can鈥檛 even see inside the windows of that store. That鈥檚 the reality for many people in communities like mine across Washington, DC.鈥�
Jones says if you don鈥檛 believe him, check out the situation in Denver, where marijuana is fully legalized.
鈥淭hey have one pot shop for every 47 residents in communities of color,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淭his is what the industry is going to do. They鈥檙e out to make as much money as they can, wherever they can, and disadvantaged communities are disproportionately targeted.鈥�
He says SAM isn鈥檛 interested in overturning medical marijuana laws nor is he advocating that the current setup in D.C. be scrapped too.
鈥淵ou can grow it here, you can have six plants which actually is a lot,鈥� said Jones. 鈥淵ou can share it with people. If you want to do it, have fun. Grow it, use it, great. It鈥檚 legal. But to say that we should allow commercial industry, that鈥檚 a step too far.鈥�
Jones, who also works as a D.C. firefighter east of the river, sees the impact that legal and illegal drugs can have on people. He warns that with companies so heavily invested in tobacco and alcohol now branching off into marijuana, you鈥檙e likely to see similar marketing practices that include the targeting of people who by law won鈥檛 be able to use marijuana.
鈥淚t鈥檚 the same players,鈥� Jones said.
鈥淚t鈥檚 not just because of the predatory marketing practices, but there are also negative consequences,鈥� he warns. 鈥淚n states that have legalized there鈥檚 been an increase in young people that are smoking marijuana which is kind of what you鈥檇 expect.鈥�
鈥淭he reality of these companies is that they target youths,鈥� he adds. 鈥淵ou only have to look at for example Juul with vaping 鈥� there鈥檚 been an increase just the past couple years where smoking amongst youth was on the decline. We鈥檙e starting to see an uptick again.鈥�
He says it鈥檚 鈥渋ncredibly naive鈥� to think marketing practices will change if commercial sales of marijuana are suddenly legalized.
