I am writing in response to the article titled, “Virginia seals 64,000 marijuana distribution charges,” published on your [website] Oct. 15. The specific part of this article I am responding to is the part that mentioned that the legalization legislation does not address those currently imprisoned on marijuana charges.
I believe that this is a race issue since marijuana charges disproportionately affect Black men. In 2019, Black people accounted for over half of the marijuana cases in Virginia, with the arrest rate being 3.5 times higher for Black Virginians than for white Virginians and the conviction rate also being 3.9 times higher for Black people than their white counterparts.
Not only is this a race issue, but it is also a social class issue. If you take into account that white people make up 61% of Virginia’s population and Black people are less than 20%, statistics from Data USA regarding social class and poverty make you realize that almost 17% of Virginia’s Black population is living in poverty compared to white Virginians being less than 10%.
The high poverty rate among Black Virginians paired with higher marijuana charges undoubtedly means that this population lacks the necessary resources for an attorney and isn’t well-suited for fighting their marijuana charges. I am writing this letter in hopes of enlightening more people on this issue and to push for justice for our Black neighbors who are still incarcerated for something that is no longer illegal.
Adam Gomes
Woodbridge
