How racism and inequality are influencing the rise of legalised cannabis in the United States

Recently, the Open Society Foundations’ New York City office held a screening of Grass Is Greener, a new documentary that raises challenging questions about how the legacy of the war on drugs, mass incarceration, and racial injustice in the United States has influenced the country’s burgeoning legal cannabis industry.

After the screening, a panel discussion was held, featuring Kojo Koram, editor of The War on Drugs and the Global Color Line; Kassandra Frederique, the New York state director of the Drug Policy Alliance; Jessica Souto, a co-founder of Movimentos, a collective of young favela-based activists from Rio de Janeiro; and Mame Bougouma Diene, a program officer with the Open Society Global Drug Policy Program.

Using the film as a starting point, the panelists discussed how harsh antidrug policies have historically been used as tools to suppress and marginalize racial minorities, as well as how policymakers and civil society members can address these injustices and ensure positive reform.

Listen to the audio of the event to learn more.