New Jersey Cannabis Laws Are Leaving People of Color Behind

On February 22, 2021, recreational weed officially became legal in the state of New Jersey. However, there’s been a booming cannabis black market that isn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Although weed is now legal in New Jersey, it’s going to take many months for retail businesses to start opening. On the flip side, many illegal operations have been in business for years.

NJ Weedman—Dealer and Advocate

Ed Forchion, also known as the NJ Weedman, has been in business for decades. He operates his own dispensary in the back of his restaurant called The Joint.

He’s been dealing for the last 30 years and has been an advocate for legalization longer than that. However, he isn’t going to try and get a legal license.

Mr. Forchion has been in the business long enough to know what legal weed is like. It’s an extremely competitive business that requires mountains of paperwork, investors, and capital just to get a license.

Even the fees just to apply for the license will likely cost thousands of dollars. Ed Forchion knows that people like him are priced out, and those who get the licenses are already rich enough.

As it is, most cannabis businesses are owned by wealthy white people. On top of that, the selection process for cannabis licenses is suspicious, with many being awarded based on connection.

For Mr. Forchion, he knows he won’t be able to get a loan or investors, especially with his record. Sadly, he’s spent a total of 1,200 days behind bars for various cannabis arrests over the years.

Even as recently as Feb 11 of this year, Forchion was arrested during a traffic stop. The police smelled cannabis, searched his car, and found an ounce of weed.

Under the legalization law that just passed, this arrest would not be legal. However, it shows how marijuana arrests are still on the rise, especially among black people in New Jersey.

False Promises

New Jersey State on cannabis background. Drug policy. Legalization of marijuana on USA flag,

Last week, New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy announced his final picks for the Cannabis Regulatory Commission. The commission is responsible for setting up the state’s cannabis industry.

However, the NAACP criticized the commission for not including a black man. On top of that, the NAACP argued that the legalization bill did not include social justice provisions.

The NAACP wants to see the qualifications of all board members. That’s because the original law mandates that at least one member must be an advocate for minorities and take into account past oppression, discrimination, and inequality of people of color.

The commission includes a Latino man and woman, a white man and woman, and a black woman. Besides Dianna Houenou—the only black person on the board—the rest of the members have no background in the cannabis industry.

As Rev. Dr. Charles Boyer of Salvation and Social Justice said it best:

“There’s no one here who knows what it has been like to have been arrested or incarcerated. There’s no one here who was ever in the underground market.”

Mr. Forchion is precisely the kind of person Rev. Dr. Boyer is talking about. Mr. Forchion knows that the cards are stacked against small dealers like him, despite his decades of experience.

That’s why he’s going to continue to sell on the black market as the NJ Weedman because the state won’t make an inclusive industry.