Students Against Mass Incarceration, a San Jose State University social justice group, organized an event on Wednesday night called “Understanding the Politics of Cannabis” at the Student Union Theater.
Students and local politicians engaged in the open forum to discuss how the justice system treats cannabis-related crimes in California.
One of the bills discussed was AB 1793, also known as Cannabis Convictions: Resentencing Law was passed by Gov. Jerry Brown on Sept. 30.
The bill aided the decriminalization of marijuana by requiring the department of justice to review past convictions that are potentially eligible for recall or dismissal of a sentence.
Daniel Portman, a deputy public defender in Santa Clara County, attended the event to break down some of the cannabis-related bills.
“Pop. 64 decriminalized simple possession. People who are convicted for possession would have it removed from their record,” Portman said.
He also mentioned that people found guilty of intending to sell and transport cannabis would still be subject to legal penalties.
California state assembly member Ash Kalra mentioned who the stakeholders were on the AB 1793.
The San Jose politician explained that “220,000 cases are eligible for reduced sentences or cleared
convictions, but about
4,000 people have applied. That’s just more than 2 percent. We don’t know how many applied successfully.”
According to the presentation put together by Students Against Mass Incarceration, 60 percent of people who are incarcerated in California are people of color.
“Looking at the 2014 data, the African-American, in terms of people who are incarcerated for marijuana is four times the
population in California,” said Robert Bonta, a California state assembly member representing part of the Alameda County. “The issue of cannabis dealt has been connected to racial and economic policy in our legislation.”
The discussion shifted gears and led to the impacts an individual can face when convicted of cannabis possession.
Justice studies professor Edith Kinney mentioned cannabis convictions have caused barriers to the simple ways of life, such as employment, housing, education, financial aid and social services.
“There is a fiscal impact. The cost benefits of not having a conviction on one’s record are, more employment opportunities, a net benefit of $6,190 a year,” she said. “People can earn more, which means our taxes get paid, and our salaries getting paid leads to better services.”
Lauryn Crawford, a member of Students Against Mass Incarceration, suggested solutions for Santa Clara County to take into consideration. One suggested solution was to publicly announce a detailed plan regarding how all demands of AB 1793 would be met by the 2020 deadline.
The student group additionally suggested the county aim to work toward becoming a model for cannabis clearance in the state by reducing 95 percent of charges and have a greater clearance rate in the Santa Clara County.
