Wall Street Analyst Estimates US Cannabis Market Will Reach $47 Billion

For years, “$20 billion by 2020” was an oft-heard refrain from market analysts who saw a bright and prosperous future for the legal cannabis industry. Now, with that horizon fast-approaching, analysts are setting their sights on what the next decade has in store. And one analyst, RBC Capital Markets’ Nik Modi, is seeing green.

Analyst Says Concentrates and Edibles Could Propel Sales To $47 Billion Annually

RBC Capital Markets, an investment bank that’s part of Royal Bank of Canada, issued a memo to clients outlining the rapid growth of the U.S. marijuana sector. The memo, authored by Nik Modi, shows how cannabis sales in the U.S. are gaining ground on beer and wine sales.

Projecting a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 17 percent, Modi estimates that the legal cannabis category could reach $47 billion in sales annually in the United States within the next decade, according to Business Insider.

Yet the cannabis market in the U.S. faces uncertainties that Canada does not. Regulatory environments are constantly and rapidly shifting as states implement legalization and adopt different approaches to dealing with federal prohibition. Investing in the industry still carries risk.

But RBC Capital Markets analyst Nik Modi brushed off concerns about the unpredictability of legal cannabis in the U.S.. Instead, he drew clients’ attention to a shift in consumer trends that is already having a major impact on domestic retail markets.

Data from BDS Analytics, included in Modi’s memo, shows that the margin on cannabis flower has steadily declined since the beginning of recreational sales in Colorado in 2012. That’s indicative of a larger national move away from flower and toward cannabis edibles and concentrates.

In Colorado, flower made up 70 percent of legal sales when shops opened in 2014. By the end of Q4 2017, flower accounted for just 46 percent of total sales. Picking up the slack were edibles and concentrates. Both are surging in popularity everywhere, and Modi thinks those forms of cannabis can propel total sales beyond $47 billion a year by 2027.

Including Illegal Cannabis Sales Drastically Shifts Financial Forecasts

Another eye-catching aspect of Modi’s analysis is another BDS Analytics chart showing the estimated U.S cannabis market size. The chart compares cannabis sales to spirits, wine, cigarettes, and beer. From spirits at $58 billion to beer $117 billion, all four categories best cannabis at $50 billion. But interestingly, the chart includes total legal and illegal cannabis sales to arrive at the $50 billion figure. It’s unclear what proportion of that amount is made up by illegal sales.

Other cannabis market analysts say that illegal sales still account for the majority of total marijuana purchases in the U.S. But as legalization continues to channel consumers into the legal market, illegal sales are slowly declining.

While access to legal cannabis expands nationwide, the size of the illegal market remains difficult to measure. So does predicting how much of it will move aboveboard in the coming years.

RBC Capital Analyst Praises Big Investment in Canadian Cannabis

The letter RBC Capital Markets sent to clients also lauded Constellation Brands’ recent $4 billion investment in one of Canada’s largest medical cannabis producer Canopy Growth Corp. Constellation Brands is the firm behind the popular beverage companies Modelo, Corona and Svedka. The company has been moving incrementally into the Canadian cannabis market, upping its stake each time. Nik Modi says he’d like to see more companies make similar moves in the cannabis space.

California Lawmakers Pass Bill to Overturn Pre-Legalization Marijuana Convictions

California lawmakers have passed a bill directing prosecutors throughout the state to overturn convictions for acts that are no longer illegal under the state’s Prop 64 cannabis legalization initiative. The bill would also reduce many felony convictions for marijuana-related crimes to misdemeanors.

The measure, Assembly Bill 1793, was passed by the California Senate Wednesday with a bipartisan vote of 22-8 after being approved by the California State Assembly on May 31 by a vote of 43-28.

If the bill is signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown, it will direct the state Department of Justice to identify cases from between 1975 and 2016 that are eligible to be overturned or reduced by July 31, 2019, and notify the appropriate district attorney for action. Prosecutors will then have until July 1, 2020 to decide if they want to challenge the reduction or elimination of any of those convictions.

Prop 64, passed by voters in 2016, legalized the recreational use and sale of cannabis and eliminated many marijuana-related crimes. That decriminalization also applied retroactively, making many eligible for a reduction or elimination of past cannabis convictions. Those with convictions for non-violent felonies including possession or distribution of less than one ounce of cannabis are eligible for reduction to misdemeanors. Prosecutors have the right to challenge relief based on the criminal history of affected individuals.

Thousands of Cases Eligible For Relief

The justice department estimates that 220,000 convictions qualify to be reduced or eliminated.  Prosecutors in San Diego and San Francisco have begun to proactively reduce or eliminate convictions, but many other district attorneys in the state have said that they do not have the resources to follow suit. That puts the burden of relief on those with the convictions, many of whom may not be aware that they are eligible. Some with convictions that qualify for a reduction or elimination have taken it upon themselves to petition the court for relief, but only a small minority of those who are eligible have done so.

Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat from San Francisco who voted for the measure, said it “creates a simpler pathway for Californians to turn the page,” according to an Associated Press report.

State Sen. Joel Anderson, a Republican from San Diego County, said that reducing felony convictions to misdemeanors will allow people to regain lost civil rights, including gun ownership.

“This bill will take those people off the prohibited list, save us time and money,” Anderson said.

AB 1793 was introduced by Democratic Assembly Rob Bonta of Oakland. He said that “the role of government should be to ease burdens and expedite the operation of law — not create unneeded obstacles, barriers, and delay.”

Although AB 1793 received broad bipartisan support, not all lawmakers agreed with the elimination of past convictions. Republican Sen. Jim Nielsen of Gerber argued against passage of the measure by his colleagues in the Senate.

“This directs us to forget any prior behavior that was illegal,” Nielsen said. “They should not be given a pass.”

With the approval of AB 1793 by both houses of the California legislature, the bill now heads to Gov. Jerry Brown for his approval.

Police Dog Sniffs Out $10 Million Worth of Marijuana in One Night

You know what they say—a dog is a man’s best friend, unless it’s a police dog that just sniffed out $10 Million worth of his marijuana.

Ok, that might not be exactly how the catchphrase goes, but it does pertain to at least one Chicago man who attempted to traffic that amount of marijuana cross-country until he crossed paths with Jayda, a dog with quite the impressive schnoz.

Police Dog Sniffs Out $10 Million Worth of Marijuana in One Night

So much for police dogs being trained to ignore the smell of marijuana. Although, it’s pretty hard to ignore the smell of $10 million worth of the stuff.

On Thursday, Jayda helped Chicago PD confirm their suspicions that a driver from Midlothian, Texas was trafficking drugs from California. According to CBS Chicago, the stop and search was part of a long-standing organized crime investigation.

After a quick sniff job, Jayda uncovered over 1,500 lbs of cannabis in the vehicle and attached trailer, as well as a variety of pot products and paraphernalia. The vehicle had just touched down in Chicago before police conducted the search.

The man behind the wheel was 42-year-old Jason Tanner of Lakehead, California. According to the local news site, he was charged with possession of more than 5,000 grams of marijuana. The pot had a street value of approximately $10 million.

As of Tuesday Morning, the Chicago PD’s Facebook post has gone viral. As it stands, the post has received over 8,000 shares and counting.

The department’s Facebook post read:

“Chicago Police Officers assigned to the Narcotics Unit conducted a narcotics investigation which led to a traffic stop of a vehicle suspected in narcotics trafficking. A Police canine alerted to the scent of narcotics and a subsequent search of the vehicle resulted in over 1500 pounds of cannabis products with a street value of over $10,000,000 being recovered.

Officers learned that the narcotics were en route to Chicago from California. The driver of the vehicle was placed in custody and charged with Cannabis – Possess more than 5000 grams.

Thank you to Officers for your hard work in this large narcotics seizure.”

On Friday, Tanner’s bail was set at $50,000 for the incident. After being held at Cook County Jail on Monday, Tanner is due back in court on July 10.

Chicago Police are currently working alongside Drug Enforcement Administration agents in California to further investigate the ongoing case.

However, it’s unclear if Jayda still has her “paws” on this case.

30 Arrested at Washington DC Marijuana Pop-Up Event

Marijuana pop-up events have been growing in popularity in Washington DC over the past month. That momentum has come to a grinding halt as DC cops crack down on the events. Over the weekend, 30 people were arrested at a marijuana pop-up.

Weekend Arrests

Over the weekend, police officers broke up what was described as a “marijuana pop-up event.” According to local news source WTOP, cops arrived to carry out a search warrant. It’s unclear what, exactly, the warrant was for.

Police quickly moved to break up the event. They seized multiple pounds of weed and other cannabis products containing THC. Additionally, they took around $10,000 in cash. Police also reportedly found three firearms.

Police arrested 30 people in connection with the pop-up. Reports said there were around 28 vendors at the event. It’s still unclear how many people were participating as sellers, vendors, or attendees.

DC’s Thriving Pop-Up Scene

Marijuana pop-ups have become pretty popular in the nation’s capital. The pop-ups have typically functioned without being harassed by law enforcement, thanks to a legal loophole.

In the fall of 2014, DC residents voted to legalize cannabis. The new law went into effect in February 2015. Under the new law, it’s legal for adults 21 and over to possess up to two ounces of cannabis. Adults can also smoke weed in private, but public consumption is not allowed.

Additionally, it’s legal for people 21 and older to give up to one ounce of weed to another adult. Adult DC residents are also allowed to grow up to six marijuana plants at home.

Although these laws technically don’t let people sell weed, the marijuana pop-up events function by “gifting” weed rather than selling it.

Vendors will sell non-marijuana products—like stickers, shirts, hats, or juice—and throw in some flower on the side, as a gift.

Since they are technically only selling the non-weed product, and giving the weed away to customers, vendors say they’re not actually violating any laws.

The Popularity of Pot Pop-Ups

Marijuana pop-ups have become so popular that DC locals tell High Timesthey’ve become an almost daily event.

Cannabis vendors who “gift” marijuana at pop-ups have established a working network of events and clients. In fact, residents in DC can easily find cannabis pop-ups being advertised on social media, especially Instagram.

Beyond the pop-ups, people have tried other methods for taking advantage of DC’s ambiguous weed laws. For example, some vendors offer home delivery. Of course, the product they’re actually selling is something like artwork, juice, or clothing. And after making a purchase, customers receive a little green on the side as a thank-you gift.

NYPD Sergeants Union Criticizes Mayor’s Orders Against Cannabis Arrests

New York City has been relatively slow to change when it comes to cannabis laws, but recent activity from the mayor’s office could be shaking things up. Last week, Mayor Bill de Blasio promised to make potentially significant alterations to how the city enforces weed laws — and, unsurprisingly, not everyone is happy about it. In particular, the NYPD Sergeants Union is criticizing the mayor’s orders against cannabis arrests.

NYPD Pushes Back Against Mayor

The back-and-forth between de Blasio and NYPD leaders arises out of recent developments in NYC’s gradually-evolving approach to cannabis laws.

Last week, Mayor de Blasio announced that the city will create a new task force to prepare it for legalization. According to NY Daily News, the task force will have 30 days to review the NYC’s current practices regarding cannabis law enforcement. It will then make recommendations for ways to improve those practices.

But that’s not all. Mayor de Blasio went a step further. He directed the NYPD to stop arresting people caught smoking weed in public.

This change is the one that seems to be generating the most controversy. So far, the most outspoken critic is Ed Mullins, President of the NYPD Sergeants Benevolent Association.

Yesterday, he told the Wall Street Journal that the new change could put officers “in positions of conflict.” Mullins argued that such conflicts could arise if residents called cops to crack down on public weed-smoking, but then were not allowed to arrest offenders.

“You can’t just circumvent the law,” Mullins said. “If you want to not have enforcement of arrests, then you need to change the law.”

This isn’t the first time Mayor de Blasio has tried to change New York City’s approach to cannabis law. In previous years, he instructed NYPD to stop arresting people caught with small amounts of marijuana. In response, officers began writing simple summonses instead of issuing arrests.

Since going into effect, that change has led to a 40 percent drop in marijuana arrests. But data from recent years reveal ongoing problems. In particular, the city has seen persistent racial disparities in the marijuana-related arrests that are still being made. NYPD reportedly arrested 17,500 people for marijuana last year. A full 86 percent of those arrested were black and Latinx.

“The racial disparities have not changed one bit, and arrests are still too common in communities of color,” Councilman Donovan Richards said earlier this year. “If the administration is serious about changing this disparity, we’re not seeing it.”

Now, it seems that Mayor de Blasio may be taking Richards up on his challenge. The mayor’s office indicated that his latest order to stop arresting people for smoking weed is in large part intended to address these racial disparities.

Additionally, de Blasio has indicated that the change is part of a larger effort to prepare the city for legalization. Although de Blasio has voiced opposition to legalization, he now believes it will happen sooner or later.

In any case, the newest change will not go into effect until the end of the summer. It remains to be seen if the tensions between de Blasio and NYPD leaders like Mullins will intensify in the meantime.

Philadelphia to Treat Opioid Addiction with Medical Marijuana

The Pennsylvania Department of Health approved two major changes to the state’s medical marijuana program on Monday.

First, the health department added opioid addiction to the list of conditions eligible for treatment with medicinal cannabis. With that decision, Pennsylvania joins New Jersey as the only two states that have done so.

Pennsylvania Secretary of Health Dr. Rachel Levine told local media that marijuana won’t be the first treatment for addiction to opioids. Instead, doctors will try more traditional therapies first.

“It’s important to note that medical marijuana is not a substitute for proven treatments for opioid use disorder,” Dr. Levine said. “In Pennsylvania, medical marijuana will be available to patients if all other treatment fails, or if a physician recommends that it be used in conjunction with traditional therapies.”

Opioid addiction has exacted a grim toll in Pennsylvania, particularly in the state’s largest city, Philadelphia. Officials attribute about 1,200 deaths in the city in 2017 to drug overdoses.

Cannabis Research Also Approved

The Department of Health also approved cannabis research licenses for five Philadelphia area medical schools on Monday. One topic researchers at the institutions want to study is the potential role of cannabis in addiction treatment.

The schools that received approval to study cannabis are Drexel University College of Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine.

“The research component of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program sets it apart from the rest of the nation,” Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf said. “Today, medical research is so limited by the federal government that only a few doctors can even have access to medical marijuana. Pennsylvania’s premier medical schools will be able to help shape the future of treatment for patients who are in desperate need not just here, but across the country.”

Cannabis Flower Gets the Nod, Too

Pennsylvania’s health department also approved several other changes to the MMJ program on Monday. In a boon for patient choice, regulators have approved cannabis flower for sale at dispensaries. Since the program began earlier this year, only more expensive cannabis oils have been available. The law does not allow the smoking of marijuana, but patients will be able to vaporize cannabis flower.

Chris Visco owns Pennsylvania dispensary chain TerraVida Holistic Centers. When adding flower was first proposed, he said that the change would make patients’ medicine less expensive.

“For some patients, the cost of their medical marijuana could drop by 50 percent with the addition of flower,” said Visco. “It offers the lowest price per milligram of THC, the active ingredient.”

The health department also revised the program’s definition of chronic pain. Now, patients will not have to treat the condition with opioids before receiving a recommendation for medical marijuana.

The new regulations for Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program will go into effect on May 17.

FBI Raids California Mayor, Marijuana Dispensary On Bribery Charges

On Tuesday, FBI agents executed a series of search warrants in Adelanto, CA that included City Hall, a marijuana dispensary, and Mayor Rich Kerr’s home. FBI spokesperson Laura Eimiller said the agency acted in concert with the IRS, the San Bernardino County’s DA office, and the Sheriff’s Department. Full details of the investigation are pending. The search warrants appear to be connected to an alleged bribery and corruption scandal involving the mayor’s office and marijuana businesses in Adelanto.

Adelanto Mayor Suspected Of Accepting Bribes From Marijuana Businesses

According to multiple reports, FBI agents raided the home of Adelanto mayor Rich Kerr and the city’s town hall on Tuesday. The raids are part of a large-scale investigation into suspected corruption and bribery.

The Jet Room, a marijuana dispensary, was also targeted in Tuesday’s sweeping raids. Agents executed additional warrants at the law office of the Jet Room’s attorney, Philip E. Rios.

There’s a family connection between Rios’ firm, Professional Lawyers Group, and the Jet Room dispensary. The general counsel for the Professional Lawyers Group, David Serrano, is the brother of the Jet Room’s owner, Manuel Serrano.

So far, the FBI isn’t releasing information about the nature of the warrants, which were sealed by a federal court. FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller did say that the warrants involve “an investigation into criminal activity.”

Despite earlier reports that agents arrested Mayor Rich Kerr and took him away in handcuffs, Eimiller said there had been no arrests. Agents did, however, seize a number of boxes and storage bins of documents from Mayor Kerr’s home.

“They’re just doing their due diligence,” Kerr’s daughter told the San Bernardino Sun.

Raids The Latest Development In Ongoing Corruption Investigations

Located in San Bernardino county, Adelanto has been aggressively recruiting marijuana businesses to the area. But this isn’t the first time Adelanto has come under federal scrutiny for possible corruption.

When Rich Kerr took office, federal agents had already filed charges against the city’s pro tem mayor Jermaine Wright. The charges accused Wright of taking bribes to fast-track certain licensing steps for marijuana businesses.

Last November, federal agents arrested and indicted Wright. Wright had taken a $10,000 cash bribe from an undercover FBI agent in exchange for a rezoning move that would have favored a particular cannabis transportation business.

According to reports, Wright also attempted to pay another FBI agent $1,500 to torch his barbecue restaurant, Fat Boyz Grill. The restaurant carried a $300,000 insurance policy.

Adelanto’s history of official corruption goes back even further. The city has seen multiple corruption scandals involving police, elected officials, and even an animal control supervisor, according to the Sun.

This isn’t Mayor Kerr’s first controversy. Back in January, an intern accused Kerr of sexual harassment and workplace humiliation. The intern filed an official complaint against Kerr with the city. An independent investigation ultimately cleared Kerr of any wrongdoing.

FBI Raids Mayor’s Home In Marijuana Business Bribery Investigation

Despite the coordinated, multi-agency investigation that raided mayor Kerr’s home and City Hall, the FBI didn’t arrest Kerr or anyone at the Jet Room.

The raids closed down City Hall for the day on Tuesday. Adelanto’s public information officer Michael Stevens said in a statement that the city is “unaware of the nature of the FBI’s investigation” but is prepared to fully cooperate with any investigations being conducted.

Mayor Kerr’s wife, Misty, assured neighbors concerned about the FBI activity that “Everything’s fine”. The investigation is ongoing.

Sen. Kamala Harris Joins the Ranks of Marijuana Justice Act Sponsors

Sen. Kamala Harris (D-Ca.) is undeniably a rising star in the Democratic party. Her announcement Thursday that she would back federal marijuana legalization has quickly propelled her to the ranks of progressive heavyweights like Sens. Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.). A potential 2020 contender for the White House, Harris’s recent statements signal she is ready to move the country toward progressive marijuana and criminal justice reform.

Sen. Kamala Harris Vows To Support Federal Marijuana Legalization

As Sen. Kamala Harris joins the ranks of Marijuana Justice Act sponsors, she moves alongside progressive Democrats like Cory Booker, the bill’s sponsor, and Kirsten Gillibrand, who champion marijuana legalization as a social justice issue.

Sen. Booker’s legislation would remove marijuana from the federal government’s list of Schedule I controlled substances. But the justice component goes much further. The Marijuana Justice Act would additionally expunge the criminal records of any American with prior marijuana use or possession convictions.

It’s a radical proposal that would dramatically alter the criminal justice landscape in the United States. And that’s something for which Harris, former attorney general of California, has long fought.

“It’s the right thing to do. And I know this as a former prosecutor. I know this as a senator,” Harris said in a video posted by NowThis announcing her decision. “I just look at what we want as a country and where we need to be instead of where we’ve been.”

And where we’ve been, according to Harris and many who support cannabis legalization, has been a nightmare of racially disparate drug enforcement and incarceration. Where we’ve been, Harris says, is the failed war on drugs.

“The war on drugs was a war on communities. Not somebody smoking a joint,” Harris says in the video.

Making Good On Her Progressive Credentials

While Sen. Harris’s record on criminal justice reform is laudatory, her action on legal cannabis has been less so. Even so, Harris’s coming out to support Sen. Booker’s Marijuana Justice Act fits in with her long-standing critique of the criminal justice system.

As San Francisco’s district attorney and later as California’s attorney general, Harris adopted a number of progressive stances. The list is admirable, and includes significant measures like sentencing reform and adopting measures to reduce recidivism in California’s over-populated prison system.

Harris was also a vocal supporter of the Affordable Care Act and defended the rights of same-sex couples to marry. And she was responsible for getting California’s justice department to adopt body cameras and mandate implicit racial bias training for its police officers. She’s even gone after polluters and corporate fraudsters.

With Trump in office and Jeff Sessions as Attorney General, Kamala has become an even more outspoken progressive. She has supported single-payer healthcare along with Bernie Sanders and is a backer of free college tuition for low-income households.

All of that is impressive and praiseworthy, even if critics of Harris point out that her deeds have not always follow her words.

Unfortunately, those criticisms seemed especially valid when it came to Harris’s stance on marijuana. While she frequently blasted the war on drugs as a failure, as California AG she took no meaningful action on drug reform. In fact, in some cases, she endorsed the “tough on crime” policies of her conservative colleagues.

Of course, that was then and this is now. And politicians have pivoted more rapidly toward legalization than Harris. Whatever disappointments Harris’s past record on marijuana may cause, her statements Thursday make clear that in 2018, the senator is completely on board with justice for cannabis users.

NFL Forbids Injured Player’s Request for Medical Marijuana

Although the NFL remains one of the most physical, injury-laden league in professional sports, it still hasn’t given any leeway in terms of medicinal marijuana use by its players. The league, as a whole, remains stringent on marijuana use, and unfortunately, that doesn’t look like it will be changing anytime soon. While there are loopholes in the NFL’s drug policy, for therapeutic medicinal cannabis use, the outlet has yet to be successfully exercised, as once again, the NFL forbids injured player’s request for medical marijuana.

Mike James’ Request Denied

Mike James, a current NFL free agent and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions running back, has made NFL history, in his own right. Last month, the former sixth-round pick became the first player in league history to file for a therapeutic use exemption for medical marijuana.

But last Thursday, his request was denied by league officials.

James had been reliant upon opioid painkillers since a Monday night football game against the Miami Dolphins after the running back broke his ankle on a goalline plunder. In an interview with CNN’s Chief Medical Correspondent, Dr. Sanjay Gupta the running back reveals he was addicted to the cocktail of pills he was prescribed in just a matter of weeks.

According to James, the pills caused him to lose a part of himself.

“I never had something where I could be coherent and still have pain relief,” James revealed.

However, the ex-Buc vowed to get clean for his sons. Growing up, his father was in and out of prison on various drug stints, and he didn’t want to set the same example for his children. That’s why, at first, medical marijuana seemed like such a far-fetched idea.

“I thought, ‘Weed? No, that’s a street drug,” James said in the interview. ” I didn’t even want to hear what it had to offer.”

However, after succumbing to the inevitable physical addictions of his prescribed opioids, James decided to give it a go. And in February of 2014, he tried medicinal cannabis for the first time. And he had an epiphany.

“I felt like I was beginning a new life,” James said.

But despite his attempts to change, James has failed several drug tests for marijuana, and his exemption has been denied by league officials. Instead of supporting his effort to get clean, the NFL has admonished it.

“Our job is to find the best medical science to support your therapeutic use exemption,” said DeMaurice Smith, the executive director of the NFL Players Association.

While plenty of that information has been made available, the NFL still remains behind the curve— and James’ career now hangs in the balance.

“My career is at great risk,” the running back admitted to Gupta.

The NFL Won’t Budge on Medical Cannabis

While the NFL may still classify the plant as a “controlled substance,” many within the league—and outside of it, believe athletes should be allowed to use medicinal marijuana.

According to a Yahoo News/Marist Poll published last year, 69% of Americans approve of a professional athlete using marijuana for pain, and 67% of pollers believing prescribed opioids are far worse that prescribed marijuana.

Additionally, many ex-players have championed the use of the plant for pain-management and concussion treatment. Ex-Jaguars offensive lineman Eben Britton believes marijuana could be a big part of the league’s medical program going forward and could be an important tool to help preserve players’ careers.

While the NFL remains behind the eightball on medical pot, despite being one of the most injury-plagued sports in America, other sporting leagues are starting to come around. The UFC essentially allows their athletes to use cannabis for recovery, and even the NBA has said it will consider removing the plant from its banned substance list.

Now, it’s time for the NFL to get off the opioid train, and hop onto the medical pot express. If not, the league could become, effectively extinct.

Cynthia Nixon Plans To Improve Racial Justice By Legalizing Weed

Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon announced last week that she’s running for governor of New York. During a private fundraiser, Nixon came out in support of recreational marijuana. Today, she clarified her stance on marijuana on Twitter. Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed. Here’s what we know about this gubernatorial candidate’s marijuana platform.

Why Cynthia Nixon Supports Legalizing Recreational Marijuana in New York

This actress turned politician plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed, as announced on Twitter. In a video she posted, Nixon explains, “I believe it’s time for New York to follow the lead of eight other states and D.C., and legalize recreational marijuana.”

Nixon is making marijuana a big part of her political campaign. “There are a lot of good reasons for legalizing marijuana,” she continues, “but for me it comes down to this: We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity.”

Cynthia Nixon goes on to list some alarming statistics. According to Nixon, black or Latino New Yorkers make up 80 percent of those arrested for cannabis. This is “despite the fact that whites and people of color use marijuana at roughly the same rates.”

New York Is Publishing Arrest Demographics

After a recent bill passage, the New York Police Department must publish arrest demographics online. This is following a City Council hearing in which evidence substantiated the claim that the police discriminate against people of color.

At this hearing, the City Council heard a report that found that 86 percent of people the police arrest for marijuana are Black or Latino. This doesn’t correspond to the population of New York City as only 52 percent are Black or Latino.

These figures are even higher than those Cynthia Nixon lists, but the trend is the same. Black and Latino New Yorkers are ten times more likely to be arrested for marijuana than Whites.

The Current Approach To Changing Arrest Demographics

The NYPD is now publishing arrest data in hopes to hold the police force accountable for racially-motivated arrests. The authorities will publish these reports quarterly.

The data will include low-level possessions and summonses divided by borough and precinct. Furthermore, the report will sort arrests by gender, race and age.

Cynthia Nixon’s Approach To Curbing Racial Disparities In Police Arrests

Cynthia Nixon✔@CynthiaNixon

A lot of you have been asking about my position on marijuana. Here it is.

7:08 AM - Apr 11, 2018

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Per her Twitter video, Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed. Specifically, this gubernatorial candidate is concerned about the difficulties of having an arrest record. “The consequences follow people for the rest of their lives,” Nixon explains, “making it harder to get jobs, or housing.”

She adds that the threat of arrest poses a danger to immigrants. “And for non-citizens, putting them in the crosshairs for deportation.”

Legal Weed Would Benefit New York

Legalizing recreational marijuana is an important step in reducing arrests and incarceration rates. It would also be of huge financial benefit to the state. Cynthia Nixon is optimistic about what marijuana could do in New York.

Nixon says, “In addition to ending a key front in the racist war on drugs, regulating and taxing marijuana would generate hundreds of millions of dollars of tax revenue for our people and create important agricultural opportunities for our state.”

We’ve seen this phenomenon in states with legal recreational marijuana. Nevada earned $3.68 million in tax revenue during the first month of legalization.

According to the Colorado Department of Revenue, the state collected half a billion dollars in taxes. The State is using this income to fund education and build much-needed housing.

Final Hit: Cynthia Nixon Plans To Improve Racial Justice By Legalizing Weed

Cynthia Nixon plans to improve racial justice by legalizing weed and provide the state with increased tax revenue.

She also raises the important point that New York is a democratic state, but marijuana is far from legal.

“In 2018, in a blue state like New York, marijuana shouldn’t even be an issue,” Nixon says, concluding her announcement.

This actress believes that she has the “political courage” to make recreational marijuana—including justice reform and increased state revenue—a reality of New York.