Zach Lebovic

I think proposition 64 will be great for multiple reasons. First, is that, because marijuana is now legal in California, continuing to punish prior offenders is cruel and unnecessary. Having an arrest for a marijuana related incident, can make it harder for people to get a job, obtain a loan, go to college, or get housing. The war on drugs was an unjust war centered around underprivileged minorities.  Someone with a simple marijuana violation will now have the chance for that incident to be erased off of their record. The arrests featuring African Americans increased by 20% between 1999 and 2000. The war on marijuana was a mistake, and we owe it to those who are incarcerated because of a marijuana arrest to fix it. There is no reason for someone to be unable to get a job or properly support their family because of something that is now illegal. The rest of california, and even the nation should follow San Francisco's lead.