Social Justice refers to the political goal of remediating social injustice. Social injustice comes from the inequitable or unfair distribution of wealth, opportunities, and privileges. As an example, when a Black woman sees a doctor and the doctor provides substandard care because she is a Black woman. Women, non-Whites, and other minorities receive fewer job offers or advancements if they do get a job. Sometimes these groups are designated as economically disadvantaged, which is a nice way of saying these people have been routinely victimized by racism, misogyny, or other prejudices.
Another related term is Environmental Justice. Political policies often have the effect of segregating minorities, so they live on contaminated land or in hazardous housing. Perhaps the low-cost neighborhood has a new freeway cut through it with the noise and exhaust fumes that the traffic generates. Environmental Justice might involve remediating the contaminating agents or building an alternative freeway route.
Cannabis provides notable examples of economic injustice. In the past, cannabis growers needed to keep a low profile to evade drug war enforcement, so many growers were small in scale. As cannabis has transitioned to more legal operations, large-scale growers have sought to enter the market. Large growers, often funded by corporate profiteers, have the resources to navigate the complex regulations. When large-scale operations reduce market prices, the ability of small-scale ‘mom-&-pop’ farmers to compete also decreases. If they survive, it is because they have the dedication and expertise to produce top-shelf products.
During the Drug War, many minorities relied on the cannabis trade for income that was otherwise unavailable because of the bigotry in the workplace. These people often developed the networks that supplied the black market, which is also known as the legacy market. Then, along comes legalization…
In California, while the election voters passed legalization, the Governor promptly enacted a regulatory bureau that generated a mass of complex regulations that KEPT the legacy market illegal! No thought was given to those who survived selling cannabis. The Cannabis Commission did nothing to enable the legacy market to continue to do business legally. Instead, one had to have a couple of million in their back pocket to rent property for years on end, to hire lawyers and accountants, and to bribe politicians to get permits.
Only recently have the politicians given lip-service to the idea of social justice measures. In this case, those that can show something like minority status get a slight advantage of having their permit fast-tracked. Except that never really happens - - they may get a permit, but they still have to come up with a couple million to outfit a dispensary with all the cameras, security, software and computers, product testing, product registration, etc., etc.
In the case of Los Angeles, years after legalization, the Council enacted half-hearted attempts to help legacy operators obtain permits. People with prior cannabis convictions, or people within select zip codes could apply for some portion of the permits being issued. Lawsuits to stop the program have been filed, although it is unclear if these lawsuits have political motivation or represent actual grievances.
Social Equity is a political goal, and thus is subject to opposition. Just as Affirmative Action sought to redress racist exclusion of non-Whites from academia, accusations of reverse-discrimination found support among these same racists.
The goal of addressing discrimination under the banner of Social Equity represents the essence of politics where different groups compete for scarce resources. Cannabis prohibition laws provide the worst examples of policy enacted to reinforce bigotry and racial animus. Part of the motive for cannabis decriminalization only came when White people began to be imprisoned by the same cruel laws enacted to oppress non-Whites.
Unfortunately, the government wants to completely ignore its ugly past. They claim to do this to secure the hefty tax revenues. But, this income only becomes available IF the cannabis industry is corporatized, once again disenfranchising those that have been victimized for decades. Dealing with racism and its effects puts cannabis on the front lines of the culture wars. ///