They’ve been above average—which, in an America where the drug war has seen almost four black people arrested for non-violent marijuana crimes for every white person (despite equal rates of use) is a bad thing. The city is also earmarking $3.4 million in cannabis business license tax revenue and $200,000 to hire a consultant to offer no-interest loans and other assistance to help equity permit holders open their business. So even if your business has been in Oakland, but you live in a nearby city, you may be in trouble. In 2013, more than 90 percent of the people arrested for cannabis possession, cultivation or sales in Oakland were either black or Latino. In terms of population, Oakland, California, is just about as equal a place as you’ll find in America.
In terms of population, Oakland, California, is just about as equal a place as you’ll find in America. Of the roughly 400,000 people who call the “Brooklyn of the San Francisco Bay Area” home, about 34 percent are black, 34 percent are white, 25 percent are Latino and 17 percent are Asian. If you are about to helpfully point out, “Hey, stupid, that’s 110 percent,” let’s pause for a moment while we direct you here, while the rest of us marvel at the amazing equal-parts-each melting pot! What a social experiment.
When arresting Oakland citizens for drug-related crimes, Oakland police, however, have been not so equal.
They’ve...
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