WEBVTT - Civic Cipher 050121 Our Arizona 0:00:00.120 --> 0:00:03.080 Welcome to another episode of Civic Cipher. I am your host, 0:00:03.200 --> 0:00:05.760 Ramsay's job. Big shout out to q Ward, who is 0:00:06.120 --> 0:00:10.760 out of town at the moment, unfortunately for a funeral. 0:00:11.800 --> 0:00:14.360 COVID nineteen is really Hopefully you all are still taking 0:00:14.480 --> 0:00:20.000 precautions and making sure you're getting that vaccination. But around here, 0:00:20.000 --> 0:00:26.040 of course, we have to continue to push for equality 0:00:26.800 --> 0:00:32.760 for all of us, and so we're here today to 0:00:32.840 --> 0:00:36.720 do just that. Today's show, I'm joined by our Arizona 0:00:36.800 --> 0:00:41.160 members Nidia, Chad and asar Yo. 0:00:41.520 --> 0:00:41.800 Hello. 0:00:41.840 --> 0:00:47.440 Hello, Peace, Peace, that's a sar and we're going to 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:50.640 talk about something that we've talked about on the show before. 0:00:50.760 --> 0:00:57.640 But like with many things, it's an ongoing battle. Unfortunately, 0:00:58.840 --> 0:01:03.120 it's also at times of struggle. But it's by having 0:01:03.120 --> 0:01:07.679 these conversations and by informing listeners like you, that we're 0:01:07.760 --> 0:01:14.400 able to coordinate our efforts and really help create the 0:01:14.440 --> 0:01:17.000 world that we all want to live in. A world 0:01:17.040 --> 0:01:21.160 is more equitable and more fair and that is more 0:01:21.240 --> 0:01:25.360 tolerant of all of us and Foster's an environment where 0:01:25.400 --> 0:01:28.080 we're able to be better brothers and sisters to each 0:01:28.080 --> 0:01:32.920 other on this planet. But for those who have not 0:01:34.480 --> 0:01:37.399 been made privy to the episodes that we've done that 0:01:37.440 --> 0:01:48.040 were dedicated to ensuring that the marijuana legislation, the social 0:01:48.080 --> 0:01:53.880 equity components written into the to the legislation with respect 0:01:53.920 --> 0:02:02.040 to the marijuana legalization has been implemented accurately and equitably. 0:02:05.040 --> 0:02:07.080 I want to give you just a little bit about 0:02:07.120 --> 0:02:09.160 what we've talked about and then a little bit of history. 0:02:09.200 --> 0:02:11.840 So I'll start there with the history, and you guys 0:02:11.880 --> 0:02:13.600 feel free to jump in at any point in time 0:02:13.600 --> 0:02:15.960 if I miss anything, or you know, of course, if 0:02:15.960 --> 0:02:18.880 I miss speak, because I don't know everything, but you know, 0:02:18.960 --> 0:02:22.280 more recently, of course, I've had to revisit some things 0:02:22.320 --> 0:02:28.880 that I've known for some time. This country has a 0:02:28.960 --> 0:02:37.400 very strange relationship with quote unquote drugs, and in recent 0:02:37.520 --> 0:02:47.040 years we found out that the criminalization of drugs, in 0:02:47.120 --> 0:02:57.480 particular marijuana, began during the Vietnam era. That's when drugs 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:03.320 really started to you know, kind of become a legal 0:03:03.360 --> 0:03:08.400 issue that required police enforcement and so forth. And I 0:03:08.440 --> 0:03:13.600 believe the exact quote was that by criminalizing marijuana, the 0:03:13.639 --> 0:03:17.200 government was able to disrupt the hippie movement and the 0:03:17.240 --> 0:03:19.760 black power movement which was in place at the time. 0:03:19.840 --> 0:03:28.640 During the sixties, and so by criminalizing these natural, god 0:03:28.720 --> 0:03:35.360 given plants and the consumption of them, and by selectively 0:03:35.480 --> 0:03:42.560 enforcing the laws, they were able to target and imprison 0:03:42.960 --> 0:03:46.920 and recavoc on black and brown communities in this country. 0:03:48.480 --> 0:03:53.280 And that has continued up until recent times. And so 0:03:55.840 --> 0:04:04.680 the huge amount of mass incarceration rates and the disproportionate 0:04:04.680 --> 0:04:09.920 amount of black and brown individuals who were imprisoned and 0:04:09.960 --> 0:04:14.560 then introduced into the prison industrial complex and introduced into 0:04:14.600 --> 0:04:19.240 the criminal justice system, A large portion of those people 0:04:19.240 --> 0:04:24.440 were introduced into that system and then become victims of 0:04:24.440 --> 0:04:27.760 that system and the cycles that you know, it is 0:04:27.839 --> 0:04:31.440 very easy to get trapped in as a result of 0:04:31.520 --> 0:04:34.599 marijuana offenses, which at least in Arizona, are now legal. 0:04:36.279 --> 0:04:40.240 But that the fact that it's now legal doesn't erase 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:44.720 the harm that was done to these communities on purpose 0:04:45.640 --> 0:04:54.960 by our government exactly now, because it's because it's civic cipher, 0:04:55.000 --> 0:04:57.640 and because the story is deeper than that, I do 0:04:57.720 --> 0:04:59.719 want to mention this this episode, of course, will not 0:04:59.760 --> 0:05:01.719 be that, but I do want to mention this is 0:05:01.760 --> 0:05:12.040 the same government, the United States government, that also introduced 0:05:12.240 --> 0:05:20.160 crack into black neighborhoods, specifically in southern California. I'm from 0:05:20.240 --> 0:05:23.279 one of those neighborhoods. Obviously, Phoenix is my home, but 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:28.760 I was born in Compton, California, and my family right exactly, 0:05:29.240 --> 0:05:37.800 and my family was very much affected by those same 0:05:38.760 --> 0:05:42.159 decisions made by the government. And so you know, I 0:05:42.200 --> 0:05:45.360 opened the show saying, you know, please get vaccinated. COVID 0:05:45.440 --> 0:05:47.800 nineteen is real, and I stand by that. But I 0:05:47.839 --> 0:05:50.200 want you to also know that I do understand any 0:05:50.279 --> 0:05:55.120 apprehension when it comes to trusting the government, because this 0:05:55.279 --> 0:05:58.240 is the same government in my thirty eight years that 0:05:58.320 --> 0:06:03.280 I've seen lie to and deliberately disrupt communities, knowing full 0:06:03.320 --> 0:06:05.320 well what they were doing, and that there was no 0:06:05.680 --> 0:06:10.240 real criminal nature behind any of the activities. If anything, 0:06:10.320 --> 0:06:13.640 it was a health issue, not a criminal issue. And 0:06:13.680 --> 0:06:18.000 that's all I'll say about everything non marijuana related. I 0:06:18.000 --> 0:06:24.560 had to get that off. But you know, here we are. 0:06:25.960 --> 0:06:33.960 State of Arizona has passed a law that allows marijuana 0:06:34.040 --> 0:06:40.680 to be consumed recreationally, which is awesome because while I 0:06:40.880 --> 0:06:44.800 don't partake and have never partaken in any marijuana or 0:06:44.800 --> 0:06:48.600 any drug, or I've never drank alcohol, even I do 0:06:48.680 --> 0:06:55.520 recognize that the criminalization of that has really affected people's 0:06:55.560 --> 0:07:01.200 lives in ways that are absolutely irreparable. Absolutely, I've been 0:07:01.240 --> 0:07:04.920 in cars with friends who might have something on them 0:07:05.920 --> 0:07:09.760 and just knowing that if and when something happens, that 0:07:09.800 --> 0:07:12.280 we're all going down together. Because of you know, we 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:16.880 obviously have a policing problem in this country as well, 0:07:18.120 --> 0:07:20.920 and again that's a bit beyond the scope of what 0:07:20.920 --> 0:07:22.840 we're going to talk about here today, but I think 0:07:22.880 --> 0:07:26.280 they all go together. I think it does. And so 0:07:26.600 --> 0:07:31.320 getting this to be decriminalized, getting marijuana to be decriminalized, 0:07:31.560 --> 0:07:33.760 certainly is a step in the right direction. But again 0:07:33.840 --> 0:07:36.920 that in and of itself does very little to right 0:07:37.840 --> 0:07:41.760 the wrongs and to correct the injustices that have been 0:07:42.400 --> 0:07:45.920 deeply entrenched into the black and brown communities, the families 0:07:45.920 --> 0:07:50.080 that have been disrupted, the cycles that have begun as 0:07:50.080 --> 0:07:54.320 a result of this, And what we're doing today this 0:07:54.440 --> 0:08:00.040 meeting is to discuss what's happening behind the scenes that 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:03.600 that you the listener may not be aware of. Hopefully 0:08:03.640 --> 0:08:06.600 I'm educated as well in terms of things I might 0:08:06.640 --> 0:08:13.240 not be aware of, and figure out ways to create 0:08:13.960 --> 0:08:20.840 equitable outcomes from this legalization of marijuana and to ensure 0:08:21.040 --> 0:08:31.800 that corrupt individuals or individuals who would deliberately try to 0:08:31.920 --> 0:08:35.960 change the narrative or change really the funds. The source 0:08:36.160 --> 0:08:41.280 or the recipients of the funds are not the only 0:08:41.320 --> 0:08:44.720 people speaking about this. We want to be able to 0:08:44.760 --> 0:08:47.640 determine what social equity looks like. We want to make 0:08:47.679 --> 0:08:51.200 sure that we stick around until it's implemented and we 0:08:51.240 --> 0:08:54.719 are able to see it come into its full manifestation 0:08:54.840 --> 0:09:00.520 and see a world where the legalization of this of 0:09:00.679 --> 0:09:04.160 marijuana is now correcting the injustices that have happened over 0:09:04.160 --> 0:09:07.040 the past. We'll call it fifty years in this country 0:09:07.480 --> 0:09:09.640 and going back even further if you want to do 0:09:09.679 --> 0:09:12.520 the research and so, right, I think you're going all 0:09:12.520 --> 0:09:17.719 the way back. Sure, sure, yeah, twenties and so and 0:09:17.760 --> 0:09:22.680 so let's do a brief introduction of everyone. Now that 0:09:22.760 --> 0:09:25.800 you know why we're here, let's find out why all 0:09:25.840 --> 0:09:28.160 of all of us are here in the studio. So, nydiat, 0:09:28.160 --> 0:09:29.079 why don't you go first? 0:09:30.280 --> 0:09:34.240 Hello, everyone, and wherever you may be. I hope you're well. 0:09:34.600 --> 0:09:37.560 I hope you're taking care of yourselves and each other. 0:09:39.679 --> 0:09:42.719 I'm really grateful to be in this room with this 0:09:42.800 --> 0:09:47.760 group of gentlemen sharing space and time, because right now, 0:09:47.800 --> 0:09:52.000 what's happening is we are witnessing history on so many 0:09:52.000 --> 0:09:58.280 different fronts, and we have a short window of time 0:09:59.240 --> 0:10:03.560 to have an impact act. And I've been in this 0:10:03.640 --> 0:10:07.560 industry quite a few years, touching the plant, building with 0:10:07.640 --> 0:10:11.320 the plant, and when Prop two of seven took place, 0:10:12.040 --> 0:10:16.000 I was just thinking, Wow, that's epic. Right, people not 0:10:16.040 --> 0:10:21.640 in jail anymore. We're gonna start selling weed like I 0:10:21.640 --> 0:10:23.360 can pick it up in a seven eleven, like if 0:10:23.360 --> 0:10:24.800 I'm gonna go pick up a slurpie, walk in and 0:10:24.840 --> 0:10:30.400 walk out. It's amazing. And the reason, you know, I've 0:10:30.440 --> 0:10:34.480 seen the industry and I I personally I'm Latina, and 0:10:34.520 --> 0:10:40.080 I'm queer and I'm loud. I've seen in you know, 0:10:40.120 --> 0:10:44.160 I've seen the injustices in life as it is. I 0:10:44.240 --> 0:10:47.240 left corporate America and then jumped into cannabis head on, 0:10:48.320 --> 0:10:51.880 and I've been in the rooms big brands, little brands, 0:10:52.200 --> 0:10:57.280 across country, and I've seen how inequitable this industry is. 0:10:58.679 --> 0:11:02.520 And the reason I'm here today is because that same 0:11:03.800 --> 0:11:09.800 inequity is resonating throughout the state and there's so much 0:11:09.960 --> 0:11:13.959 happening that we want to share with everyone, because if 0:11:13.960 --> 0:11:19.400 we don't do something now, the community loses. 0:11:19.679 --> 0:11:28.319 Right, So that's my part. I was trying to ring 0:11:28.360 --> 0:11:31.120 on doors, trying to bring the alarms with everyone, like, hey, 0:11:31.120 --> 0:11:32.840 why is nobody talking about social equity? 0:11:32.880 --> 0:11:37.000 Why is nobody upset about what's happening? You know, it's 0:11:37.440 --> 0:11:40.800 this program promise to keep people out of jail, this 0:11:40.920 --> 0:11:49.679 program promise to promote and to implement programs to help 0:11:50.040 --> 0:11:55.120 acknowledge the harm done to disproportionately affected communities across the state. 0:11:56.320 --> 0:12:00.080 Yet we still have people in jail for things that 0:12:00.080 --> 0:12:02.920 you and I can go into that AK cannabis seven 0:12:02.960 --> 0:12:08.120 to eleven walk out, right, and where's where's all the funding? 0:12:08.280 --> 0:12:09.560 Where's this money going to? 0:12:10.240 --> 0:12:10.440 Right? 0:12:10.920 --> 0:12:14.760 So I reached out, you know, to a sarign to Chad. 0:12:14.840 --> 0:12:18.600 We had just mutual synergy. We've been battling this now 0:12:18.640 --> 0:12:22.240 for quite a few months. My battle's been since twenty seventeen, 0:12:22.920 --> 0:12:26.480 trying to ring the alarm. And when I, you know, 0:12:26.559 --> 0:12:29.800 we found one another. I was just like, hey, social equity, 0:12:29.880 --> 0:12:33.400 let's talk about it. And we've just been pounding the 0:12:33.400 --> 0:12:35.560 payment and trying to bring more attention to it. And 0:12:36.200 --> 0:12:41.440 you know, this law has been ridden, it's inequitable since 0:12:41.440 --> 0:12:49.160 its offset, since it's been written. And we demand better. 0:12:49.800 --> 0:12:54.320 Absolutely, Chad. Yeah, So I'm I'm Chad Digs. I'm from 0:12:54.840 --> 0:12:56.719 a Rigon. I grew up in the Maryvale area here 0:12:56.720 --> 0:13:00.480 in Phoenix. The reason why I'm here is because, you know, 0:13:00.520 --> 0:13:04.080 with proposition two seven, they spoke about the Social Equity 0:13:04.120 --> 0:13:08.280 Opportunity Program and they mentioned that it was for disproportionately 0:13:08.880 --> 0:13:11.199 individuals that was impacted by the War on drugs, and 0:13:11.240 --> 0:13:13.040 I felt like it spoke to me and that something 0:13:13.160 --> 0:13:17.920 was actually happening. Not understanding legislation or how laws are passed, 0:13:18.360 --> 0:13:21.360 I figured, that's it, right, they write the law, we 0:13:21.480 --> 0:13:23.720 vote on it, and then something miraculous is going to happen. 0:13:24.800 --> 0:13:28.360 The thing is is that the DHS is tasked to 0:13:28.440 --> 0:13:30.680 write these rules, and they can come up with the 0:13:30.720 --> 0:13:36.120 rules however they may, right, And it's not unknown that 0:13:36.440 --> 0:13:40.599 there are other parties that has the DHS's ear to 0:13:40.760 --> 0:13:45.120 make this so that it benefits them and not the 0:13:45.120 --> 0:13:49.000 Social Equity DHS, the Department of Human Resources or the 0:13:49.040 --> 0:13:54.160 Department of Health Services, right, so the Arizona DHS. So 0:13:55.360 --> 0:14:02.920 when I started looking more into this, I researched other states, California, Chicago, Michigan, 0:14:03.400 --> 0:14:05.400 and all these other places that I found had put 0:14:05.440 --> 0:14:09.040 these done the same thing. And I realized that a 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:11.040 lot of the people that came into the Social Equity 0:14:11.080 --> 0:14:13.640 program either first it's been at least four years and 0:14:13.679 --> 0:14:16.480 they still haven't implemented it yet. People are still waiting 0:14:16.480 --> 0:14:20.960 on their license, or they put it out and it 0:14:21.080 --> 0:14:23.200 just didn't work. And all those all those individuals that 0:14:23.240 --> 0:14:25.960 did get their license were taken over by big corporation, 0:14:26.480 --> 0:14:29.240 the same people that we were trying to move out 0:14:29.280 --> 0:14:32.680 of it and allow these individuals to be entrepreneurs and 0:14:32.720 --> 0:14:37.680 create wealth for their families and their communities. So what 0:14:37.760 --> 0:14:39.080 I learned is that you have to be on the 0:14:39.120 --> 0:14:42.440 front end of it right before DHS starts writing these laws. 0:14:42.920 --> 0:14:48.520 You can have a voice and if you're gonna if 0:14:48.560 --> 0:14:51.200 you feel like your social equity right, let's take it 0:14:51.240 --> 0:14:54.320 out of the scope of this is for people just 0:14:54.360 --> 0:14:56.560 applying for a license so they can get rich. 0:14:56.920 --> 0:14:57.040 Right. 0:14:57.320 --> 0:15:00.840 Uh, this is this is not that this is something 0:15:01.000 --> 0:15:04.600 where it's the beginning of righting wrongs. This is what 0:15:04.640 --> 0:15:08.240 it's about. You know, I mentioned where I grew up at. 0:15:08.320 --> 0:15:13.280 I've seen a lot like Ramses here and Asar my 0:15:13.360 --> 0:15:18.240 family I'm from. I originally from California, myself. San Fernando Valley. 0:15:18.280 --> 0:15:20.560 That's where I was born, That's where my family was raised, 0:15:20.920 --> 0:15:24.520 and I saw the impact. I was born in what 0:15:24.560 --> 0:15:26.720 we call the dope era, you know, nineteen eighty four, 0:15:26.720 --> 0:15:28.440 it was my birth I grew up in the nineties, 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:32.280 so I seen many struggle with drug abuse. I've seen 0:15:33.040 --> 0:15:35.480 me myself just growing up in the neighborhood, the amount 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.720 of times that I was stopped over other individuals. So really, 0:15:38.720 --> 0:15:40.400 you know, to make it short, you know, we'll dive 0:15:40.440 --> 0:15:42.480 into some of this more. But that's the reason why 0:15:42.480 --> 0:15:45.840 I'm here. I'm really a part of what the social 0:15:45.880 --> 0:15:48.600 equity program is. And I know there's others out there, 0:15:48.920 --> 0:15:51.080 and we need to lend our voices out there, talk 0:15:51.120 --> 0:15:54.840 about it, you know, and let's make it right. Let's 0:15:54.840 --> 0:15:57.360 be the first state to actually do the right thing. 0:15:58.400 --> 0:16:02.640 I like that. Sorry, So my name is a Sar. 0:16:03.440 --> 0:16:07.080 I'm here because I'm actually a cannabis professional. I've been 0:16:07.120 --> 0:16:09.560 in this industry for about eight years. I've worked in 0:16:09.640 --> 0:16:11.520 a number of different dispensaries and for a number of 0:16:11.560 --> 0:16:16.920 different businesses inside of the cannabis industry. And one of 0:16:16.960 --> 0:16:20.960 the things that I've been able to understand the most 0:16:21.000 --> 0:16:26.160 about this industry is that the same ceilings, the same blocks, 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:28.960 and the same gatekeepers are the same individuals in this 0:16:29.040 --> 0:16:33.440 industry as almost every other experience that we've had as people, black, 0:16:33.480 --> 0:16:37.680 brown and Indigenous people. I also am from California. I 0:16:37.720 --> 0:16:40.360 grew up in Carson right next to concert, you know, 0:16:40.440 --> 0:16:42.560 so I understand when you talk about them not only 0:16:42.680 --> 0:16:44.680 you know, dropping the drugs off in our community, but 0:16:44.680 --> 0:16:45.920 also dropping guns. 0:16:45.680 --> 0:16:46.560 Off in our communities. 0:16:46.960 --> 0:16:48.640 You know what I mean, doing all types of things 0:16:48.680 --> 0:16:51.160 in order to hamstring us from being able to rebuild 0:16:51.200 --> 0:16:54.800 and trust each other and build with each other, as 0:16:54.800 --> 0:16:58.000 well as allowing that economic cycle of us being able 0:16:58.000 --> 0:17:01.520 to build businesses and then allowing those dollars to cycle 0:17:01.560 --> 0:17:04.199 into our community so that we can actually develop a 0:17:04.200 --> 0:17:07.439 foothold to have economic power for ourselves. 0:17:08.440 --> 0:17:09.800 In that process. 0:17:10.400 --> 0:17:12.560 In the eight years as I've been in this industry, 0:17:12.560 --> 0:17:14.800 I got into this industry because my grandmother got sick 0:17:15.040 --> 0:17:18.120 with the rare type of blood cancer and as a treatment, 0:17:19.080 --> 0:17:24.520 I recommend a cannabis. As that recommendation goes through and 0:17:24.600 --> 0:17:27.000 I'm seeing the benefits that it has for her, I 0:17:27.080 --> 0:17:29.919 dived head first. So I'm a patient care expert. I'm 0:17:29.960 --> 0:17:32.280 a cannabis patient care expert. I've been a class I 0:17:32.280 --> 0:17:35.160 got certifications and I've been I just have the experience. 0:17:37.000 --> 0:17:39.200 Because of that, I can tell you all the dispensaries 0:17:39.200 --> 0:17:42.119 I've worked in. I'm always the most knowledgeable individual. But 0:17:42.600 --> 0:17:45.679 when you deal with the individuals who actually get the positions, 0:17:45.720 --> 0:17:48.399 who are able to call shots and individuals who are 0:17:48.440 --> 0:17:51.359 in positions of power, they don't come from this industry. 0:17:51.960 --> 0:17:55.640 They don't come from the communities who are disproportionately affected 0:17:55.640 --> 0:17:59.040 by that. Most of these individuals come from retail, they 0:17:59.080 --> 0:18:02.760 come from construction, they come from some other ancillary business 0:18:02.800 --> 0:18:05.199 of some sort of peripheral business that has nothing to 0:18:05.200 --> 0:18:07.840 do with cannabis specifically, because they have resources in order 0:18:07.880 --> 0:18:10.000 to be able to gouge these communities of all their 0:18:10.000 --> 0:18:11.120 money and opportunities. 0:18:11.359 --> 0:18:12.720 So that's one issue. 0:18:12.880 --> 0:18:14.679 The other issue is is that I see how it 0:18:14.760 --> 0:18:18.320 affects the patience because as much as we want to 0:18:18.359 --> 0:18:22.800 talk about hint and cannabis as a drug, it's a medicine. 0:18:23.280 --> 0:18:26.240 And as a medicine it has properties that help people 0:18:26.359 --> 0:18:30.320 deal with their issues physically, mentally, and spiritually. And I 0:18:30.520 --> 0:18:33.560 don't know how you feel about your religious process, but 0:18:33.600 --> 0:18:35.200 it has more to do with how you feel about 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:38.239 yourself and how you can see yourself as well as 0:18:38.320 --> 0:18:41.040 deal with the healing aspects of what the actual cannabis 0:18:41.080 --> 0:18:44.159 does for you. If you cannot get high quality medicine, 0:18:44.240 --> 0:18:46.360 you can turn a situation that should have been good 0:18:46.400 --> 0:18:48.360 into something that should have been really that turns out 0:18:48.359 --> 0:18:50.639 to be really bad. And I see that too often 0:18:50.840 --> 0:18:53.879 in this industry, and it's because the individuals who are 0:18:54.040 --> 0:18:57.399 in control of the industry do not care. I was 0:18:57.440 --> 0:19:00.359 on the front lines when two oh seven was being 0:19:00.400 --> 0:19:04.240 put before the actual patients, and they were coming into 0:19:04.280 --> 0:19:06.760 my dispensaries talking about, Hey, aren't you really glad that 0:19:07.119 --> 0:19:09.320 two o seven everything is going to be legal? And 0:19:09.400 --> 0:19:12.640 I'm saying, have you read have you read the legislation? 0:19:13.560 --> 0:19:16.800 Do you understand where the money is going? Do you 0:19:16.880 --> 0:19:20.080 understand who's going to be in control of it? And 0:19:20.119 --> 0:19:22.160 I had the point I had to point out businesses. 0:19:22.200 --> 0:19:25.480 It's like, we have legislation that was written by two 0:19:25.640 --> 0:19:26.800 major corporations. 0:19:28.240 --> 0:19:29.000 You see what I'm saying. 0:19:29.040 --> 0:19:30.639 A lot of the stuff that they're putting in the 0:19:30.640 --> 0:19:33.560 words are being put into words by corporations, not humans, 0:19:33.560 --> 0:19:35.080 not people who are on the front lines. Not people 0:19:35.080 --> 0:19:37.280 who use or people who deal with people who use 0:19:37.320 --> 0:19:40.480 the product, but by people who want to make money 0:19:40.560 --> 0:19:45.480 and sold the law. Yeah or yeah, crelief is one 0:19:45.480 --> 0:19:49.200 of them. So I can say this, you know, I mean, 0:19:49.280 --> 0:19:52.280 but they're part of a coalition of corporations who don't 0:19:52.320 --> 0:19:57.880 actually have any experience with the product, experience in the industry, 0:19:58.200 --> 0:20:02.040 and it puts the patience in a bad way because 0:20:02.080 --> 0:20:04.720 they can't get the proper medicine. They don't hire the 0:20:04.760 --> 0:20:07.199 people that will be able to interact with people to 0:20:07.200 --> 0:20:09.239 be able to get them the proper medicine so they 0:20:09.240 --> 0:20:11.399 can get the relief that they need so that they 0:20:11.400 --> 0:20:14.280 can go about living their lives in a proper manner. 0:20:14.600 --> 0:20:18.280 So I'm here to make sure that those voices are heard, 0:20:18.440 --> 0:20:21.080 that those people are heard who want better from their communities, 0:20:21.240 --> 0:20:24.639 that want better from these businesses, and they want to 0:20:24.680 --> 0:20:26.680 make sure that the people that are providing them their 0:20:26.720 --> 0:20:28.720 medicine are from their communities. 0:20:29.720 --> 0:20:34.400 I have a question, sure. So my understanding is that 0:20:36.560 --> 0:20:41.000 as a part of this proposition, the language was written 0:20:41.960 --> 0:20:47.000 so that the funds or some of the funds, or 0:20:47.000 --> 0:20:50.840 some of the licenses or something like this would go 0:20:51.359 --> 0:21:00.679 to restore the communities to whatever degree possible that had 0:21:00.680 --> 0:21:03.399 been disproportionately affected by that. Is it the case that 0:21:03.440 --> 0:21:09.160 you're telling me that that is no longer true? Let's 0:21:09.160 --> 0:21:09.960 talk about it. Yeah. 0:21:10.040 --> 0:21:15.119 Yeah, So look, when Prop two of seven was written, 0:21:15.760 --> 0:21:19.840 I remember being in the trenches, being in the you know. 0:21:21.160 --> 0:21:26.200 I remember Mike Weisner, and he's a very well known 0:21:26.280 --> 0:21:30.000 advocate in the industry who had to be in the 0:21:30.040 --> 0:21:36.080 middle of all sides, you know. And when this proposition 0:21:36.200 --> 0:21:39.080 was being written, there was a lot of turmoil because 0:21:39.119 --> 0:21:42.280 people either didn't agree on it or some people were 0:21:42.320 --> 0:21:47.080 like for it, And in the end there was victory 0:21:47.320 --> 0:21:52.679 in how they placed a specific I actually want to 0:21:52.680 --> 0:22:01.720 read from it. Sure, they put a social equity program. 0:22:01.760 --> 0:22:06.280 So actually, I'll come back to it. But there was 0:22:06.320 --> 0:22:09.119 a part specifically in Prop two of seven that said 0:22:09.440 --> 0:22:13.480 why is this being done? And it was to promote 0:22:13.520 --> 0:22:17.320 the ownership a social equity ownership program to promote the 0:22:17.320 --> 0:22:22.040 ownership and operation of marijuana establishments and marijuana testing facilities 0:22:22.080 --> 0:22:26.679 by individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of 0:22:26.800 --> 0:22:30.240 previous marijuana laws. That's huge. 0:22:30.600 --> 0:22:31.840 Yeah, sounds good. 0:22:31.960 --> 0:22:33.959 It took well, I mean it sounds good. You think 0:22:34.000 --> 0:22:37.200 it would be easy, like common sense, this is why 0:22:37.200 --> 0:22:39.480 shouldn't it be in there? But that was a battle 0:22:39.680 --> 0:22:44.080 to get that part in the prop. It was a 0:22:44.119 --> 0:22:47.760 long battle, serious battle, and when it finally got on there, 0:22:47.800 --> 0:22:49.520 then people were able to kind of be like, Okay, 0:22:50.160 --> 0:22:53.400 I can get with this now because before that wasn't 0:22:53.400 --> 0:22:57.080 in there. Then we're not even getting to the bad 0:22:57.119 --> 0:23:02.199 parts of it. So the funding piece is another area 0:23:02.280 --> 0:23:05.800 where when people were talking about, okay, well what does 0:23:05.840 --> 0:23:09.119 this prop do? You started seeing people all over the 0:23:09.160 --> 0:23:13.600 state right you'd see the easy normal, which helped promote it. 0:23:13.600 --> 0:23:17.320 There was a lot of activists around the city. Hey, 0:23:17.359 --> 0:23:21.120 sign this sign this voter initiative, initiative, let's get some signatures, 0:23:21.200 --> 0:23:24.520 let's bring recreational cannabis to the state, and they were 0:23:24.520 --> 0:23:27.560 popping up all over and it was the promise of 0:23:28.560 --> 0:23:30.680 we need to keep people out of jail, because prior 0:23:30.720 --> 0:23:33.640 to Prop two oh seven, every hour in the state 0:23:33.640 --> 0:23:37.520 of Arizona, you had forty people arrested for minor possession 0:23:37.600 --> 0:23:41.359 of cannabis. And that was the promise, let's keep people 0:23:41.359 --> 0:23:47.399 out of jail, and let's recognize social equity and the 0:23:47.480 --> 0:23:50.360 tax program. We should be able to reinvest that into 0:23:50.359 --> 0:23:53.800 our communities. It is what is today? 0:23:55.480 --> 0:23:56.600 April was Saturday? 0:23:57.119 --> 0:23:58.199 Saturday. 0:23:59.240 --> 0:24:02.359 It's twenty six. Oh no, not at all, it's Saturday. 0:24:02.720 --> 0:24:04.520 You gotta get the first. 0:24:05.119 --> 0:24:08.919 Okay, so it's Saturday. The first I didn't even know. 0:24:09.080 --> 0:24:14.360 But well that's that's another day. But anyways, to this day, 0:24:14.480 --> 0:24:18.000 you still have people sitting in jail. This law has 0:24:18.080 --> 0:24:22.359 passed in November twenty twenty. Why are people still sitting 0:24:22.400 --> 0:24:26.080 in jail? Where is the social justice? 0:24:26.119 --> 0:24:26.359 There? 0:24:27.560 --> 0:24:30.520 Now the funding piece, we can break it down. You 0:24:30.840 --> 0:24:37.000 have a good chunk of this money. You got that part. 0:24:37.840 --> 0:24:42.280 So you have the Safe and Smart Act, the Smart 0:24:42.320 --> 0:24:46.639 and Safe Act essentially what it does. You got thirty 0:24:46.640 --> 0:24:49.560 three percent going to community college and districts, which, hey, 0:24:49.600 --> 0:24:51.720 I'm all for community colleges. You know, it's not going 0:24:51.760 --> 0:24:55.600 to universities that are for profit. Are cool. But then 0:24:55.640 --> 0:25:01.439 you have thirty one point four percent to municipolice departments, departments, 0:25:01.480 --> 0:25:05.919 and that's a huge chunk, twenty five point four percent 0:25:05.960 --> 0:25:10.720 to the Arizona Highway for enforcement of impairment. That's over 0:25:11.920 --> 0:25:18.879 fifty percent to groups who have caused harm, who have 0:25:19.400 --> 0:25:24.640 repurposed harm. And why how is that or should say, 0:25:24.960 --> 0:25:29.280 how is that repairing at acknowledging the harm from the 0:25:29.359 --> 0:25:30.720 failed warant drugs. 0:25:30.880 --> 0:25:33.720 Yeah, so let's real quick, real quick. So I see 0:25:33.720 --> 0:25:38.520 how there is a a philosophical or there could be 0:25:38.560 --> 0:25:41.919 at least a philosophical difference of opinions with respect to 0:25:41.960 --> 0:25:45.879 what social equity means, which is why an organization like 0:25:46.040 --> 0:25:48.600 Our Arizona is so important. And I do want to 0:25:48.600 --> 0:25:52.840 touch on that a bit more. But real quick. If 0:25:52.840 --> 0:25:55.240 you're just tuning in a civic cipher army host Ramsy's 0:25:55.280 --> 0:25:58.359 Ja and our guests today are Nidia, Chad and Asar 0:25:58.440 --> 0:26:02.400 from our Arizona and we're just discussing these social equity programs. 0:26:02.400 --> 0:26:05.080 And before we pause, Chad, you were going to say something. 0:26:04.920 --> 0:26:07.480 Yeah, so, so, like you know, I'm going to pick 0:26:07.520 --> 0:26:09.520 up where Nydia left off. If you have half of 0:26:09.560 --> 0:26:12.600 the half of what we're talking about is the distribution 0:26:12.680 --> 0:26:15.720 of the actual tax, so this sixteen percent tax and 0:26:15.720 --> 0:26:18.640 then the cost that is associated with getting your license. 0:26:19.440 --> 0:26:23.119 This money is going to go to basically the police 0:26:23.160 --> 0:26:28.280 and the fire department to enforce this on this on basically, 0:26:28.400 --> 0:26:30.320 so if you get pulled over some of the things 0:26:30.320 --> 0:26:33.119