jonetta rose barras: DC officials want ganja money, forget the consequences

It began as part of a criminal justice movement, aimed at reducing the number of African Americans, particularly men, being arrested and jailed for possession of marijuana. Then, people were told it was about decriminalization, making sure that such a minor offense would not forever stain a person’s record, preventing him or her from securing employment, housing or other necessities of life.

That movement has now morphed into a money hustle: Mayor Muriel Bowser proclaimed in January that 2019 would be the year the city set up a regulatory system for recreational marijuana sales, replete with licenses for businesses. Shortly thereafter, at-large DC Council member David Grosso reintroduced his Marijuana Legalization and Regulation Act, which also would include a licensing and tax-levying scheme. If I didn’t know Grosso’s other public policy work, I might think his raison d’etre is getting a spliff in every hand that wants one.

Now, the city’s chief legal officer, Attorney General Karl Racine, has been infected by the ganja fever. Last month, he and Grosso penned an op-ed for The Washington Post, demanding that Congress stop blocking the city from creating a regulatory regime.

Help us.

Just to be clear, there is a real difference between decriminalization and legalization. And for the record, marijuana is, in fact, not legal in DC. If you are caught smoking it in public or trading an ounce or two, you won’t get arrested, but you could get a $25 citation that you’d be expected to pay. If you’re under 18, your drug paraphernalia could be confiscated, and a government notice could be sent to your parent or guardian, according to the current law.

Note to the feverish: Marijuana is no innocent. There have been numerous studies documenting its adverse physical and psychological effects on the brain and the body. Further, it can, in some people, be quite addictive. That is one reason that Grosso’s legislative proposal includes identifying funds for drug treatment.

As before, deliberate misinformation appears to be a feature of the money sickness. Consider that four months ago, when Grosso reintroduced his legalization proposal, he said “we have seen marijuana-related arrests plummet, representing thousands of District residents who were spared needless involvement in the judicial system.” He added the logical next step “to bring marijuana totally out of the shadows is to set up a strong tax and regulatory system.”

However, in the Post article, Grosso and Racine wrote that “public-consumption arrests actually increased in the wake of Initiative 71” and “continue to disproportionately affect the District’s most vulnerable residents — primarily individuals with federally supported or no permanent housing.” They claimed that “racial bias” also persisted, with African Americans accounting for “91 percent of people arrested in the District for marijuana-related offenses in 2017.”

Which is it? Has decriminalization had a positive impact, or hasn’t it?

Smoke is in their eyes, and all they can smell is green, weed money. “All of a sudden it’s the dollar sign,” said John Capozzi, a politically active Ward 7 resident, who admits that he has been part of the marijuana brigade since the 1970s.

Racine and Grosso mentioned in their article a 2014 study by the Office of the DC Chief Financial Officer as support for the revenues that could be generated. While the CFO estimated a “potential market size for marijuana and marijuana related products of $130 million,” officials also discussed costs related to setting up the system, including enforcement by the Alcoholic Beverage Regulation Administration and the Metropolitan Police Department. Ultimately, the CFO could not provided a final estimate on expected revenue because of those various caveats.

Still, the potential of millions of dollars has some people salivating. A capitalist lives inside every American. (Check out Sen. Bernie Sanders’ tax returns if you don’t believe me.)

Capozzi said he has been meeting with local “weed people” on a regular basis, who are mostly led by activist Adam Eidinger. Eidinger did not reply to my emails asking for comment. However, Capozzi said there is talk about creating a tiered system that would not subject small growers or sellers to large licensing fees and taxes. “I just think we need to finish what we started,” he said, explaining his support for a regulatory framework.

Except legalizing marijuana wasn’t the opening refrain for the city’s venture down this path, and there certainly wasn’t any talk about creating yet another tax.

Don Folden, a longtime entrepreneur who founded and operates Capital Buddy Tours, agrees with Capozzi, Racine and Grosso: Bring on the money. “It could improve the financial stability and health of the city,” he told me.

A recent New York Times article reported that despite legalization, California has witnessed an expansion of underground, black-market sales. Gov. Gavin Newsom pulled National Guard troops from the border to focus instead on illegal cannabis farms, according to the Times. Moreover, Thomas D. Allman, sheriff of Mendocino County, reported that in early April his deputies seized “cannabis oil worth more than $5 million.”

None of that fazes Folden or other legalization proponents. He said he would “absolutely” seek a retail license “in a heartbeat.”

Folden predicted the underground market would mostly continue to satisfy local, DC-based consumers. The retail marijuana outlet would cater to tourists. “People come from all over the world; they aren’t going to go to Southeast looking for dope.”

He foresees legal weed as a substantial draw for the nation’s capital, though some have pointed out that use on federal land would remain illegal.

“We have a natural attraction,” he continued, citing the city’s historical sites. Tourists “can come for the monuments and get reefer on the side. It is going to be a tremendous boost for tourism. I don’t see anyone from the hospitality or tourism [industry] objecting to it. Everybody is going to get paid.”

Everyone will have to pay, however, for the increased costs for public safety, drug treatment and other needed services that surely will result from this reckless and shortsighted public policy agenda. Yes, the revenue might outweigh the new expenses, but it’s unlikely to fulfill expectations. In their fever for the green, District leaders are becoming untethered from their common sense.

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jonetta rose barras is a DC-based freelance writer and host of The Barras Report television show. She can be reached at thebarrasreport@gmail.com.