18 Aug 2025 Marijuana Legalization is a Scourge on Black Communities
The legalization of marijuana remains a very controversial issue. We have gone from the “Just Say No” anti-drug campaigns in the 1980s to current-day efforts to legalize the very substance believed to be the gateway to more addictions. Some believe it’s harmless, although scientific evidence has proven otherwise, especially with our youth.
Black Americans and other minority communities continue to be the ones most negatively impacted by illegal drug abuse, yet the political class seems empowered to legalize this scourge on our communities.
Project 21 Ambassadors are commenting on the reclassification of marijuana and its impact on our communities.
Horace Cooper
Horace Cooper, Project 21 Chairman:
Marijuana legalization increases the suffering of poor families.
Legalization is among a long line of measures that undermine the importance of family and the ethic of hard work needed for success. It will widen income inequality.
Marijuana use is highly associated with high school dropouts and depression. Because drug legalization normalizes this destructive behavior, it is a toxic policy that will harm inner city black families most.
Terris Todd
Terris E. Todd, Project 21 Director of Coalitions and Outreach:
Elitists and politicians want to create the illusion that all of the problems faced within the black and minority communities will somehow disappear when they’re high. In fact, marijuana legalization will only exacerbate many of their problems, including in the areas of mental health, family formation, economic stability and the addition of more addictive and self-destructive substances within their communities.
My hope is that one day black families will awaken to the truth that they are paying for their own demise, while someone else benefits.
Linda Lee Tarver
Dr. Linda Lee Tarver, Project 21 Ambassador:
In 2020, the state of Oregon essentially legalized schedule I drugs like marijuana, heroin, meth and LSD. In September 2024, Oregon re-crimimalized these drugs as a result of failed and deadly liberal policies.
Failed presidential candidate and politically tone-deaf former Vice President Kamala Harris offered black men legalized marijuana for their vote in 2024.
As in the case of Oregon, giving people “what they may want” does not equate to good public policy and common sense. A study by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) revealed: “Heavy and prolonged use of cannabis is associated with several adverse health, legal and social consequences.” Those disproportionately impacted by cannabis are black and Native American communities. Most disturbing is the designation of marijuana as a gateway drug.
President Trump would be wise to ignore the liberal ideologues and profit-driven weed peddlers and focus on the Making America Healthy Again policies that strengthen the black community and ensure our young people are employable and prepared for the Golden Age jobs.
Emery McClendon
Emery McClendon, Project 21 Ambassador:
The proposed legalization of marijuana is a bad move. In a nation that already has an addiction problem, we don’t need to make it easier for our children or adults to purchase drugs.
It has been proven that marijuana is a gateway drug that leads to the use of more addictive drugs, and it has been proven that marijuana can cause serious problems for communities that have legalized it in the past.
We need to protect our youth and others from dangerous substances and encourage them to be drug-free.
DawnMarie Alexander Boursiquot
DawnMarie A. Boursiquot, Project 21 Ambassador:
Legalization alone is not a solution. We must do more to help people manage life and emotions without relying on substances. That means investing in mental health, emotional education and community support. When we fail to address the root causes of self-medication, we’re not just legalizing a plant — we’re institutionalizing neglect.
Marijuana may offer temporary relief, but it also raises lasting questions. And if we’re serious about building a healthier, more ethical society, we must confront those questions head-on.
Johanna Blanding-Koskinen
Johanna Blanding-Koskinen, Project 21 Ambassador:
Where it concerns the reclassification of “high-potency” marijuana, the message to the black community needs to be clear: Stop confusing freedom with the license to indulge without consequence. As Scripture reminds us, “All things are lawful for me, but not all things are helpful” (1 Cor. 6:12).
Reclassification was a last-ditch attempt by the previous administration to gain votes, but it’s now sitting on the desk of President Trump, whose decision could leave the black community doing what it’s been doing for decades—fending off self-destruction.
Churches, lawmakers and communities must urge Trump to bypass lobbyists supporting this action and focus on programs combining expungement with accountability-driven restoration.