President Biden’s step towards decriminalization of marijuana is more than an artful midterm election move. It’s crucial for racial justice. Kay Ivey and Alabama should get on board. It’s high time this state ended its war on marijuana.

From my colleague Savannah Tryens-Fernandes’ report: “Pardons for Alabamians convicted of marijuana possession would create such a positive impact on thousands of people statewide. It would give people hope that punishment for a simple, victimless crime is not permanent,” said Carla Crowder, executive director of Alabama Appleseed Center for Law & Justice, a legal nonprofit that has researched the impact of marijuana criminalization in Alabama.

“Tens of thousands of Alabamians have a felony on their records for possession of a substance that’s legal in states where half of Americans live, and now that the President of the United States has said is deserving of a pardon at the federal level, we need to fix this.”

R E L A T E D: Alabama urged to follow Biden on marijuana possession pardon: ‘It would give people hope’ – al.com

R E L A T E D: Biden pardons thousands of Americans for ‘simple possession’ of marijuana: What does that mean? – al.com

R E L A T E D: Report: Alabama’s War on Marijuana

“The organization released a research report, Alabama’s War on Marijuana, which found that Black Alabamians are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white Alabamians and in at least seven law enforcement jurisdictions, Black people were 10 or more times as likely as white people to be arrested for the offense.”

“While we’re absolutely thrilled to see the President’s statement and the steps that he’ll be taking to pardon federal marijuana convictions, we would call the state of Alabama and Governor Ivey’s attention to his request for governors here as well as across the country to take steps within their own state to pardon those convictions,” said Jerome Dees, Alabama Policy Director at SPLC.

But the Governor’s office said there is little likelihood of that, and it would have to come from the Alabama Board of Pardons and Paroles. Read all of Tryens-Fernandes’ report here

Jennifer Rubin of the Washington Post writes:

“President Biden’s historic pardon of thousands of Americans convicted of a federal crime for simple marijuana possession is a long overdue correction in the overheated war on drugs — a failed effort that has disproportionately affected Black and Brown people and wreaked havoc in communities of color.

“It’s hard to overstate the elation (and in some cases amazement) among civil rights leaders. Derrick Johnson of the NAACP tweeted: “We applaud President Biden for pardoning those who have been convicted for the simple possession of marijuana. Correcting unequal treatment — including marijuana reform — has been a priority issue for the NAACP for decades.” And for scores of other groups as well.

“You can understand why. The American Civil Liberties Union has found that “the aggressive enforcement of marijuana possession laws needlessly ensnares hundreds of thousands of people into the criminal justice system and wastes billions of taxpayers’ dollars,” and that “it is carried out with staggering racial bias.” In addition, this enforcement “has failed to reduce marijuana use and availability and diverted resources that could be better invested in our communities.”

“To give you a sense of the magnitude of the problem: ‘Between 2001 and 2010, there were over 8 million pot arrests in the U.S. … Marijuana use is roughly equal among Blacks and Whites, yet Blacks are 3.73 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession.’

“It has long been known that these arrests and convictions have tremendous and lasting costs. They can “negatively impact public housing and student financial aid eligibility, employment opportunities, child custody determinations and immigration status.” That is the very definition of structural racism — something Republicans so often refuse to acknowledge exists.”

While Biden’s move will not expunge people’s criminal records — nor will it result in the release of anyone currently imprisoned — a pardon “would remove ‘civil disabilities,’ which include restrictions on the right to vote, to hold office or to sit on a jury,” as The Post reported. The action “could ultimately help people get back to the voting booth or jury box, or secure employment.”

The Rise of Dank Brandon

The Nation reports: “The president’s issuing blanket pardons for all federal convictions of simple marijuana possession is, to put it in Biden-esque tems, a big f —-ing deal. At least 6,500 people charged with federal pot possession dating to 1992 will have their convictions overturned, as will an as-yet-unknown number of folks convicted as far back as the 1970s.

“Thousands more convicted of simple pot possession under Washington, D.C., drug laws will also have their convictions scrapped. Just as importantly, after more than 50 years of the federal government rating pot as in league with heroin and fentanyl, the president announced that Attorney General Merrick Garland and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra have been tasked with “expeditiously” reassessing pot’s categorization as a Schedule I drug.

“Considering the fact that its status deems it a substance with “no currently accepted medical use,” despite pot’s being legalized in at least 37 states for precisely that purpose, the move seemed long overdue. It’s no wonder the Internet applauded the president’s order by flooding social media with “Dank Brandon” memes.”

True stories and stuff:

How I met Dr. Seuss – al.com

Robert Plant head-butted me. Thanks, David Coverdale – al.com

I was ZZ Top’s drummer for a night and got kidnapped by groupies – al.com

Check out more cartoons and stuff by JD Crowe

Tommy Tuberville gives bull excrement a bad name – al.com

Nick Saban Jimbo Fisher feud takes a turn: Awkward man hug alert – al.com

Voting Rights Act at stake as Supreme Court ponders its prey – al.com

Dead man talking: ‘I survived Alabama execution attempt’ – al.com

Bryan Harsin watch: War Eagle? Auburn’s battle cry should be ‘War Buzzard’ – al.com

Welcome to Speed Trap, Alabama: Where small towns turn into ‘little monsters’ – al.com

MAGA Republicans and AL GOP: Backstabbing the Blue – al.com

JD Crowe is the cartoonist for Alabama Media Group and AL.com. He won the RFK Human Rights Award for Editorial Cartoons in 2020. In 2018, he was awarded the Rex Babin Memorial Award for local and state cartoons by the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists. Follow JD on Facebook, Twitter @Crowejam and Instagram @JDCrowepix.

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JD Crowe toons: 2021 year in review