Legalization of pot should recognize ‘systemic racism’ of status quo: Liberal MP – BCLocalNews.com

Aug 23, 2017

The plan to legalize marijuana should recognize that the black community has been overly criminalized for using the drug, says a Liberal MP who is calling on the government to consider that perspective.

“We do know that black Canadians have been disproportionately charged with and are imprisoned for possession of small amounts of cannabis,” Greg Fergus, a Quebec MP who chairs the Liberal black caucus, said Tuesday.

“I don’t think that’s because there is a greater propensity in the black community to consume marijuana,” he said.

“We have to look at the questions of systemic racism.”

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