Back when the elections were happening and mixed reactions were held around the world internationally about Trump’s inauguration, ballot questions were sent to 20 states. Massachusetts posed four ballot questions, the fourth being about legalizing recreational marijuana. This ballot question I will emphasize the importance of, as a passage to simple freedom of use along the law for one’s own personal desires, but freedom to live the life that would normally be struck by the police and the corrupted criminal justice system. Most crimes are only petty drug offenses. Illegal marijuana use fits under this category and is arguably one of the worst drugs to keep illegal for the safety and security of millions.

First, marijuana has many health benefits, including improving appetite for those who suffer from food anemia of some kind, and serves as a natural anti-depressant for many, meaning those suffering from PTSD, Depression, and anxiety have a natural remedy aside from prescription drugs. Marijuana is also in many places proven to treat tumors, having tumor-reductive properties, which has so far saved thousands around the world from crippling medications, bills, reduced quality of life, and even death. This is a point for further research as well. The information on anti-tumorous properties of cannabis is in some places ways hidden and tainted, so one should search carefully.

There are also other reasons why marijuana, before being fully legalized, puts many at risk, and especially those of color. Taking a class-based perspective, it is crucial to understand that poor people are more susceptible to being caught by the police for crime and simply “poor” behavior. Yes, crime is against the law, but no matter if they are being forced to commit crime due to their material conditions or not, people who are poor, look poor, or those who are in poor neighborhoods need to be especially careful around police. The criminal justice system is rigged against poor, and colored people as well. Crime statistics show that relatively few black people actually commit crimes, though there is a disproportionate amount of black people in jail, especially black men. This is due to structural racism within the criminal justice system. When weed is legalized fully and completely, it gives cops one less reason to target this group and their brothers and sisters of color. This will economically benefit them, their families, and their communities.

The criminal justice system costs the nation and individual states a lot more money than it is worth. With mental and economic healing of inmates and a reduction on inmates who need to be fed, clothed, and housed, it is a puzzle why states and the federal government do not operate differently. The answer to this question is profit. There is hordes of profit accumulated right now from large private prisons that have legitimately no reason for their existence. These prisons are especially the problem, as they are producing nothing productive for society, and not only harming the lives of inmates, but the lives of workers working for them, paying them less than or at a minimum wage, with bad working conditions, but this is not dissimilar from other private practices.

Let’s join to resist further privatization, dismantle the current prison industrial complex system, and replace it with a smaller and fairer new one of democratic community defense, and advocate for the legalization of marijuana nation-wide. It is time for everyone to stand up to the biased criminal justice system and demand democracy within the system and an end to brutality, corruption, and complete racism. It is time to help those in jail now heal and give them the material necessities to live comfortably coming out of jail, which will arguably keep them from committing more crimes in the future. The nation as a whole would benefit economically from greatly reducing the scope of the prison industrial complex system, and implementing community defense measures and councils instead.