I walk into a cannabis store near me and see young white people behind the counter, and I know the license holder is a wealthy white person (because it's public record). I know the company running the government website where I can buy online is owned and run by a bunch of rich white men (because it's a public company) and most its employees are well-educated, well-to-do white men because I know many of them personally. I know the government that owns the distribution and licensing channels and collects the excise taxes is mostly rich white men because I voted. I know the corporations that produce wholesale cannabis are owned and run by wealthy white men because I own stock and get the annual reports.
I see dealers in the local park. They don't tend to be wealthy white men, and they don't tend to be the people running the organized crime either. The organized crime will just move into more profitable areas like phishing scams and bond ratings agencies. It's the dealers on the street who suffer the most from the legalization of the recreational cannabis trade.
I definitely see legalization as best for society as a whole. I'm just uncomfortable with yet another way the cream floats to the top.
Definitely that, and the ability to pull a $60,000 line of credit out of a hat just to submit a license application. If most dealers could go to the bank and get that kind of credit, they would probably have chosen a different line of work.
I'm sure the cannabis industry created thousands of jobs which aren't for "white people" only and which offer better horizons than dealing in the streets.
> because I own stock and get the annual reports
Honest question, why don't you practice what you preach and invest in "non white" companies ?
I see dealers in the local park. They don't tend to be wealthy white men, and they don't tend to be the people running the organized crime either. The organized crime will just move into more profitable areas like phishing scams and bond ratings agencies. It's the dealers on the street who suffer the most from the legalization of the recreational cannabis trade.
I definitely see legalization as best for society as a whole. I'm just uncomfortable with yet another way the cream floats to the top.