Welcome to another episode of Civic Cipher. I am your host, Ramsay's job. Big shout out to q Ward, who is out of town at the moment, unfortunately for a funeral. COVID nineteen is really Hopefully you all are still taking precautions and making sure you're getting that vaccination. But around here, of course, we have to continue to push for equality for all of us, and so we're here today to do just that. Today's show, I'm joined by our Arizona members Nidia, Chad and asar Yo.
Hello.
Hello, Peace, Peace, that's a sar and we're going to talk about something that we've talked about on the show before. But like with many things, it's an ongoing battle. Unfortunately, it's also at times of struggle. But it's by having these conversations and by informing listeners like you, that we're able to coordinate our efforts and really help create the
world that we all want to live in. A world is more equitable and more fair and that is more tolerant of all of us and Foster's an environment where we're able to be better brothers and sisters to each
other on this planet. But for those who have not been made privy to the episodes that we've done that were dedicated to ensuring that the marijuana legislation, the social equity components written into the to the legislation with respect to the marijuana legalization has been implemented accurately and equitably. I want to give you just a little bit about what we've talked about and then a little bit of history.
So I'll start there with the history, and you guys feel free to jump in at any point in time if I miss anything, or you know, of course, if I miss speak, because I don't know everything, but you know, more recently, of course, I've had to revisit some things that I've known for some time. This country has a very strange relationship with quote unquote drugs, and in recent years we found out that the criminalization of drugs, in
particular marijuana, began during the Vietnam era. That's when drugs really started to you know, kind of become a legal issue that required police enforcement and so forth. And I believe the exact quote was that by criminalizing marijuana, the government was able to disrupt the hippie movement and the black power movement which was in place at the time.
During the sixties, and so by criminalizing these natural, god given plants and the consumption of them, and by selectively enforcing the laws, they were able to target and imprison and recavoc on black and brown communities in this country.
And that has continued up until recent times. And so the huge amount of mass incarceration rates and the disproportionate amount of black and brown individuals who were imprisoned and then introduced into the prison industrial complex and introduced into the criminal justice system, A large portion of those people were introduced into that system and then become victims of that system and the cycles that you know, it is very easy to get trapped in as a result of
marijuana offenses, which at least in Arizona, are now legal. But that the fact that it's now legal doesn't erase the harm that was done to these communities on purpose by our government exactly now, because it's because it's civic cipher, and because the story is deeper than that, I do want to mention this this episode, of course, will not be that, but I do want to mention this is the same government, the United States government, that also introduced
crack into black neighborhoods, specifically in southern California. I'm from one of those neighborhoods. Obviously, Phoenix is my home, but I was born in Compton, California, and my family right exactly, and my family was very much affected by those same decisions made by the government. And so you know, I opened the show saying, you know, please get vaccinated. COVID
nineteen is real, and I stand by that. But I want you to also know that I do understand any apprehension when it comes to trusting the government, because this is the same government in my thirty eight years that I've seen lie to and deliberately disrupt communities, knowing full well what they were doing, and that there was no real criminal nature behind any of the activities. If anything, it was a health issue, not a criminal issue. And
that's all I'll say about everything non marijuana related. I had to get that off. But you know, here we are. State of Arizona has passed a law that allows marijuana to be consumed recreationally, which is awesome because while I don't partake and have never partaken in any marijuana or any drug, or I've never drank alcohol, even I do recognize that the criminalization of that has really affected people's
lives in ways that are absolutely irreparable. Absolutely, I've been in cars with friends who might have something on them and just knowing that if and when something happens, that we're all going down together. Because of you know, we obviously have a policing problem in this country as well, and again that's a bit beyond the scope of what we're going to talk about here today, but I think
they all go together. I think it does. And so getting this to be decriminalized, getting marijuana to be decriminalized,
certainly is a step in the right direction. But again that in and of itself does very little to right the wrongs and to correct the injustices that have been deeply entrenched into the black and brown communities, the families that have been disrupted, the cycles that have begun as a result of this, And what we're doing today this meeting is to discuss what's happening behind the scenes that
that you the listener may not be aware of. Hopefully I'm educated as well in terms of things I might not be aware of, and figure out ways to create equitable outcomes from this legalization of marijuana and to ensure that corrupt individuals or individuals who would deliberately try to change the narrative or change really the funds. The source or the recipients of the funds are not the only people speaking about this. We want to be able to
determine what social equity looks like. We want to make sure that we stick around until it's implemented and we are able to see it come into its full manifestation and see a world where the legalization of this of marijuana is now correcting the injustices that have happened over the past. We'll call it fifty years in this country and going back even further if you want to do the research and so, right, I think you're going all the way back. Sure, sure, yeah, twenties and so and
so let's do a brief introduction of everyone. Now that you know why we're here, let's find out why all of all of us are here in the studio. So, nydiat, why don't you go first?
Hello, everyone, and wherever you may be. I hope you're well. I hope you're taking care of yourselves and each other. I'm really grateful to be in this room with this group of gentlemen sharing space and time, because right now, what's happening is we are witnessing history on so many different fronts, and we have a short window of time to have an impact act. And I've been in this industry quite a few years, touching the plant, building with the plant, and when Prop two of seven took place,
I was just thinking, Wow, that's epic. Right, people not in jail anymore. We're gonna start selling weed like I can pick it up in a seven eleven, like if I'm gonna go pick up a slurpie, walk in and walk out. It's amazing. And the reason, you know, I've seen the industry and I I personally I'm Latina, and I'm queer and I'm loud. I've seen in you know,
I've seen the injustices in life as it is. I left corporate America and then jumped into cannabis head on, and I've been in the rooms big brands, little brands, across country, and I've seen how inequitable this industry is. And the reason I'm here today is because that same inequity is resonating throughout the state and there's so much happening that we want to share with everyone, because if we don't do something now, the community loses.
Right, So that's my part. I was trying to ring on doors, trying to bring the alarms with everyone, like, hey, why is nobody talking about social equity?
Why is nobody upset about what's happening? You know, it's this program promise to keep people out of jail, this program promise to promote and to implement programs to help acknowledge the harm done to disproportionately affected communities across the state. Yet we still have people in jail for things that you and I can go into that AK cannabis seven to eleven walk out, right, and where's where's all the funding? Where's this money going to?
Right?
So I reached out, you know, to a sarign to Chad. We had just mutual synergy. We've been battling this now for quite a few months. My battle's been since twenty seventeen, trying to ring the alarm. And when I, you know, we found one another. I was just like, hey, social equity, let's talk about it. And we've just been pounding the payment and trying to bring more attention to it. And you know, this law has been ridden, it's inequitable since
its offset, since it's been written. And we demand better.
Absolutely, Chad. Yeah, So I'm I'm Chad Digs. I'm from a Rigon. I grew up in the Maryvale area here in Phoenix. The reason why I'm here is because, you know, with proposition two seven, they spoke about the Social Equity Opportunity Program and they mentioned that it was for disproportionately individuals that was impacted by the War on drugs, and I felt like it spoke to me and that something
was actually happening. Not understanding legislation or how laws are passed, I figured, that's it, right, they write the law, we vote on it, and then something miraculous is going to happen. The thing is is that the DHS is tasked to write these rules, and they can come up with the rules however they may, right, And it's not unknown that there are other parties that has the DHS's ear to make this so that it benefits them and not the Social Equity DHS, the Department of Human Resources or the
Department of Health Services, right, so the Arizona DHS. So when I started looking more into this, I researched other states, California, Chicago, Michigan, and all these other places that I found had put these done the same thing. And I realized that a lot of the people that came into the Social Equity program either first it's been at least four years and they still haven't implemented it yet. People are still waiting on their license, or they put it out and it
just didn't work. And all those all those individuals that did get their license were taken over by big corporation, the same people that we were trying to move out of it and allow these individuals to be entrepreneurs and create wealth for their families and their communities. So what I learned is that you have to be on the front end of it right before DHS starts writing these laws.
You can have a voice and if you're gonna if you feel like your social equity right, let's take it out of the scope of this is for people just applying for a license so they can get rich.
Right.
Uh, this is this is not that this is something where it's the beginning of righting wrongs. This is what it's about. You know, I mentioned where I grew up at. I've seen a lot like Ramses here and Asar my family I'm from. I originally from California, myself. San Fernando Valley. That's where I was born, That's where my family was raised, and I saw the impact. I was born in what we call the dope era, you know, nineteen eighty four, it was my birth I grew up in the nineties,
so I seen many struggle with drug abuse. I've seen me myself just growing up in the neighborhood, the amount of times that I was stopped over other individuals. So really, you know, to make it short, you know, we'll dive into some of this more. But that's the reason why I'm here. I'm really a part of what the social equity program is. And I know there's others out there, and we need to lend our voices out there, talk
about it, you know, and let's make it right. Let's be the first state to actually do the right thing.
I like that. Sorry, So my name is a Sar.
I'm here because I'm actually a cannabis professional. I've been in this industry for about eight years. I've worked in a number of different dispensaries and for a number of different businesses inside of the cannabis industry. And one of the things that I've been able to understand the most about this industry is that the same ceilings, the same blocks, and the same gatekeepers are the same individuals in this industry as almost every other experience that we've had as people, black,
brown and Indigenous people. I also am from California. I grew up in Carson right next to concert, you know, so I understand when you talk about them not only you know, dropping the drugs off in our community, but also dropping guns.
Off in our communities.
You know what I mean, doing all types of things in order to hamstring us from being able to rebuild and trust each other and build with each other, as well as allowing that economic cycle of us being able to build businesses and then allowing those dollars to cycle into our community so that we can actually develop a foothold to have economic power for ourselves.
In that process.
In the eight years as I've been in this industry, I got into this industry because my grandmother got sick with the rare type of blood cancer and as a treatment, I recommend a cannabis. As that recommendation goes through and I'm seeing the benefits that it has for her, I dived head first. So I'm a patient care expert. I'm a cannabis patient care expert. I've been a class I got certifications and I've been I just have the experience. Because of that, I can tell you all the dispensaries
I've worked in. I'm always the most knowledgeable individual. But when you deal with the individuals who actually get the positions, who are able to call shots and individuals who are in positions of power, they don't come from this industry. They don't come from the communities who are disproportionately affected
by that. Most of these individuals come from retail, they come from construction, they come from some other ancillary business of some sort of peripheral business that has nothing to do with cannabis specifically, because they have resources in order to be able to gouge these communities of all their money and opportunities.
So that's one issue.
The other issue is is that I see how it affects the patience because as much as we want to talk about hint and cannabis as a drug, it's a medicine. And as a medicine it has properties that help people deal with their issues physically, mentally, and spiritually. And I don't know how you feel about your religious process, but it has more to do with how you feel about yourself and how you can see yourself as well as deal with the healing aspects of what the actual cannabis
does for you. If you cannot get high quality medicine, you can turn a situation that should have been good into something that should have been really that turns out to be really bad. And I see that too often in this industry, and it's because the individuals who are in control of the industry do not care. I was on the front lines when two oh seven was being put before the actual patients, and they were coming into my dispensaries talking about, Hey, aren't you really glad that
two o seven everything is going to be legal? And I'm saying, have you read have you read the legislation? Do you understand where the money is going? Do you understand who's going to be in control of it? And I had the point I had to point out businesses. It's like, we have legislation that was written by two major corporations.
You see what I'm saying.
A lot of the stuff that they're putting in the words are being put into words by corporations, not humans, not people who are on the front lines. Not people who use or people who deal with people who use the product, but by people who want to make money and sold the law. Yeah or yeah, crelief is one
of them. So I can say this, you know, I mean, but they're part of a coalition of corporations who don't actually have any experience with the product, experience in the industry, and it puts the patience in a bad way because they can't get the proper medicine. They don't hire the people that will be able to interact with people to be able to get them the proper medicine so they can get the relief that they need so that they can go about living their lives in a proper manner.
So I'm here to make sure that those voices are heard, that those people are heard who want better from their communities, that want better from these businesses, and they want to make sure that the people that are providing them their medicine are from their communities.
I have a question, sure. So my understanding is that as a part of this proposition, the language was written so that the funds or some of the funds, or some of the licenses or something like this would go to restore the communities to whatever degree possible that had been disproportionately affected by that. Is it the case that you're telling me that that is no longer true? Let's talk about it. Yeah.
Yeah, So look, when Prop two of seven was written, I remember being in the trenches, being in the you know. I remember Mike Weisner, and he's a very well known advocate in the industry who had to be in the middle of all sides, you know. And when this proposition was being written, there was a lot of turmoil because people either didn't agree on it or some people were like for it, And in the end there was victory in how they placed a specific I actually want to
read from it. Sure, they put a social equity program. So actually, I'll come back to it. But there was a part specifically in Prop two of seven that said why is this being done? And it was to promote the ownership a social equity ownership program to promote the ownership and operation of marijuana establishments and marijuana testing facilities by individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of previous marijuana laws. That's huge.
Yeah, sounds good.
It took well, I mean it sounds good. You think it would be easy, like common sense, this is why shouldn't it be in there? But that was a battle to get that part in the prop. It was a long battle, serious battle, and when it finally got on there, then people were able to kind of be like, Okay, I can get with this now because before that wasn't in there. Then we're not even getting to the bad
parts of it. So the funding piece is another area where when people were talking about, okay, well what does this prop do? You started seeing people all over the state right you'd see the easy normal, which helped promote it.
There was a lot of activists around the city. Hey, sign this sign this voter initiative, initiative, let's get some signatures, let's bring recreational cannabis to the state, and they were popping up all over and it was the promise of we need to keep people out of jail, because prior to Prop two oh seven, every hour in the state of Arizona, you had forty people arrested for minor possession
of cannabis. And that was the promise, let's keep people out of jail, and let's recognize social equity and the tax program. We should be able to reinvest that into our communities. It is what is today?
April was Saturday?
Saturday.
It's twenty six. Oh no, not at all, it's Saturday. You gotta get the first.
Okay, so it's Saturday. The first I didn't even know. But well that's that's another day. But anyways, to this day, you still have people sitting in jail. This law has passed in November twenty twenty. Why are people still sitting in jail? Where is the social justice?
There?
Now the funding piece, we can break it down. You have a good chunk of this money. You got that part. So you have the Safe and Smart Act, the Smart and Safe Act essentially what it does. You got thirty three percent going to community college and districts, which, hey, I'm all for community colleges. You know, it's not going
to universities that are for profit. Are cool. But then you have thirty one point four percent to municipolice departments, departments, and that's a huge chunk, twenty five point four percent to the Arizona Highway for enforcement of impairment. That's over fifty percent to groups who have caused harm, who have repurposed harm. And why how is that or should say, how is that repairing at acknowledging the harm from the failed warant drugs.
Yeah, so let's real quick, real quick. So I see how there is a a philosophical or there could be at least a philosophical difference of opinions with respect to what social equity means, which is why an organization like Our Arizona is so important. And I do want to touch on that a bit more. But real quick. If you're just tuning in a civic cipher army host Ramsy's Ja and our guests today are Nidia, Chad and Asar from our Arizona and we're just discussing these social equity programs.
And before we pause, Chad, you were going to say something.
Yeah, so, so, like you know, I'm going to pick up where Nydia left off. If you have half of the half of what we're talking about is the distribution of the actual tax, so this sixteen percent tax and then the cost that is associated with getting your license. This money is going to go to basically the police and the fire department to enforce this on this on basically, so if you get pulled over some of the things that we've always had to deal with this, Hey, I
smell something in the car. Are you impaired? So say you you you they smell something in the car. Then all of a sudden, now you're getting DUIs. They're gonna try to figure out a way to now heavily enforce because now they have more task force out there to pull people over. And so this is the type of games that has always been played. And as far as the social equity, there's a one time two million dollar distribution that's supposed to go out to assist this program.
Everything else is on the hands of those applicants who actually received those applications on how they would like to give back to their communities. So there isn't anything really written to take care of the communities to help these applicants actually get what they need in order to start a business. You know, I don't. You know, I've been I've been in the legacy market for a long time, but I know nothing on how to establish a business.
I wasn't taught that. I don't know how to get investors, how to write a business plan correctly, good contracts, yeah, good contracts, how not to get screwed out of a situation, right. So these are the type of things that we want to be able to build within this program, so people can have a resource to go to, so that they can be able to build their business plan, put their thoughts on paper.
And so so I have a question, who is the person that decides what social equity means in terms of the recompense or rather the reinvestment into black and brown communities. Who's the person that's deciding that And how is it that we appeal to this person to do?
I mean currently right yes, So right now, the Arizona Legislative is writing bills. There are six cannabis bills that are quietly moving through the House and the Senate, and they're the gatekeepers in the sense of if you don't really know about it, right now, it.
Comes to floor and gets voted on and passed right now.
So you are basically the people of Arizona.
They're in session right now.
So what these people are doing is shaping not only their world, but what is conceivably our world.
They're telling you, Chad Asar myself, our brothers and sisters, Yes, our indigenous brothers and sisters are LATINX brothers and sisters, and our Black African American brothers and sisters, what our needs are?
How about that? And they're telling us that we need more police. That's right, and there's no one black in that room.
I'm assuming no, no.
Yeah, let's let's put it like this. I mean, we had a meeting and we sat down with a few of these players, and the first thing that came up was, Uh, this is not about I don't want to see anything that has to do with race. I am a white man who's my father left me. I grew up in a poor h exactly. I grew up in a poor area, and you know I was able to make it bootstrapped myself.
So I said, look, you didn't You obviously didn't read the bill, because we're not talking about handby being poor and and that's not this social It says social equity for people who were disproportionately impacted by the War on drugs.
And I shared with my experiences of being pulled over, actually getting getting a possession charge, and how that possession charge impacted my career, how I had to fight to get my way back to the top, how I wasn't able to apply for certain UH places of residence because I had this on my record, how I lost a great job, went to the went to the interview, applied love me, love my experience. But because of the regulations that a lot of these companies have if any drug crimes,
and this was actual, this is a pharmaceutical company. So they saw that and they said, hey, Chad, sorry, we can't hire you. That was going to change me and my family's life, you know what I mean. So this is what I That's what I explained to him. And his words were, oh, I've been arrested nine times from marijuana.
And we had an ally in the room. Thank you, because having intersectionality in these movements is pivotal. We have to have unity across the board. And I am thankful for that white powerful woman who used her privilege to say, hey, and here you are House representative on the other end, sitting there with ten marijuana convictions.
That's what I was going to say. Yeah, we wouldn't be out walking at three, but.
We're out over here. But now we're on the other side. And Chad literally was looking at this man in his eyes and just like, how.
So the elected representative, this person was elected to represent the interest of the people, said he didn't want to hear anything about race, as though it was a myth or something. You know what, I'm going to say something just because this is the space for it. You know, we do have a lot of allies that listen to
this show. Some of those allies are white, and we have people who maybe listen to the show because they disagree with everything that I say and Q says, but they need to know what we're saying, right, And so I want to speak to everyone. And it is my opinion that white privilege is not necessarily being born with any advantage, because you can be born and be poor and your dad leave you and blah blah blah, on and on and on. Right, you can be born and be white as a ghost, and all these things happen
to you. But I believe that white privilege is being born without a disadvantage, without being born with no strike against you. And so the phrasing makes it seem like, well, I was born white, so I have all of this
additional stuff in my life. And no, it's very possible to be born with nothing and still have white privilege, because when you're born and you're not a white, straight Christian male who is in a healthy body, you are born with at least one strike against you, and it's going to make your go at life a bit more challenging. And I think that by clearly defining what white privilege is, it's perhaps a bit easier for folks to see it.
White folks specifically, to see it and perhaps even become more comfortable with the idea that while in their minds, it's true, they weren't born with any advantage, any privilege. They weren't born in black skin, they weren't born queer, they weren't born you know, whatever, whatever the case is, whatever it is that your story is, they were born
and they don't really have any strikes against them. You know, I recall like, you know, a lot of like stoner movies, and you know, stoner culture is kind of it's it's comical, it's funny. You know, we all get to laugh.
At it, right, right, But you know the way that it's often framed is that when you think of a stoner movie, the person that it comes to mind is white, long haired, you know, cool dude, kind.
Of like, yeah, exactly, kill means no harm. So if this guy's selling drugs or he's a stoner, you know, smoking weed or whatever, it's just hahaha, funny. This guy's harmless. He's not bothering a soul. He's not going to get arrested and go to jail and get beat in the streets and have criminal charges and that'll follow him the rest of his life or anybody else.
A black man.
And then I want to if you're listening to my I want you to challenge yourself and really find out does that person still get the same consideration? Is that person harmless? Or is that person a criminal? In your mind? You know, is that person harmless and you know cool and you know surfered, what a bro you know, hanging out on the couch? Or is that person up to no good? And you know some sort of societal deviant and you know, same people, same age, same you know,
partaking in the same substance. But the way that the narrative has been sculpted around those two identities, I think really illuminates what white privilege can be. And it's I think it's important to say that. And if I knew the name of this representative you were talking about, I would say his name on the radio because I like to do that.
Yeah, So I want to kind of pick up on a little bit of that when we were talking about, you know, the white privilege thing. Sure, you know, I'm a I'm a I grew up with the name Chad, and that was by design.
Mm hmmm.
That was by design.
Yeah.
When I complained about my name because I didn't like it because it was too white, you know, to be honest, my mom said, you know what, that was the design. If you were to if you I wanted to make sure, if my son applied for a job or anything, the first thing that they would see is Chad, and they would be able to at least give you a chance and give you an interview. But if your name was a sar Jamal, you know some of these.
That's my actual name.
These these they would they would take your resume, son, and they would probably just put it aside because they would automatically think that you were a black man. So that's what we talk about when we talk. I don't think. I don't I've never met a met a Caucasian or white, whatever you want to call it in my life. They said that their name was picked by design so that they can have a chance in this world.
And I think that's privilege exactly.
Don't have.
There's certain things that you just don't need to consider. They don't enter into your mind exactly. And and no matter what you are doing, who you are, what direction your life is pointed in, there is somebody at the table quote unquote that represents your interest or whose opinion represents your worldview. And that is not as often the case when you are a queer LATINX woman.
Masculine and tall, like I can't unlook the way that I look. Neither can y'all. So it's kind of like I love I love my skin, and it's like, you know, it takes time, though, I feel like there's there's certain things I don't know for y'all. But it took me time to learn to love myself, and it took me time to love my imperfections and to empower myself to say, hey, how can I empower my people now? Knowing what I know? So that conversation was so heavy in that room because
we didn't we're not here like social equity scares these people. Yep, it literally, that's the word he said. He said, social equity scares it. Can I cuss on here? Okay? Well, I'm glad, I asked, So social equity scares the blank out of me, and I was like, why ask a question. We're here to you ask for the community to come in. That's what we're trying to do. And social equity, when it comes down to it, everybody should start out with the toolbox, right. Everybody has certain jobs that they have
to get done. But if you don't all have the same tools in that toolbox, then you have privilege. It doesn't matter what color of skin you are. But does it hurt you? Yes, it can because you know what, when I drive down the street, I actually got pulled over by the cop the other day and looking the way that I look in my nice car, probably didn't think it was my car and pulled me over for something bogus. And I don't get discriminated against because of
the zip code that I live in. It's because the way we look, the way we talk, the way we walk, and our culture has been appropriated in cannabis. My god, Yes, so now you want to talk appropriate. I mean, you don't get me go down that revel, but yeah, it's been I call this culture vulture you know, or sorry, vulture culture whatever anyway, Yeah, yeah, okay, So see that's what happens when I don't smoke. But I like to try to tell people that because in this journey myself,
I've had to humble myself. I have privilege as a Latina, and I've recognized that because I'm a little bit lighter complexed, I speak a certain way. So it's like, let's get the same toolbox for everybody, so now we can all lift each other up. This proposition, this law, what's going on. It's not about these twenty six people individually. It's about what are you doing with that license for your community when you get it?
Okay, so let's start there. Ok Okay, there's two things that I want to ask you said these twenty six people, So let's explain to the listeners what the quote these twenty six people unquote means.
So, the social equity part of this bill allows for twenty six licenses to be handed out to individuals who are disproportionately affected by the War on drugs, which would be black, Brown, and LATINX individuals. But since social equity has not truly been defined, we've had to fight specifically to get these particular amendments in to keep Backdoring out of here. So let me give you example. Sure, there's
a corporation by the name of Harvest. They were busted for having a straw man or woman in the position of ownership. Right, So there was a lady who was on their payroll whose name they used to get the license, and I think it was in Ohio.
Yeah, there was. So there's a lot of predatory practices. Is the word we're going to use.
She didn't know she was the owner of her company.
No, she did not.
She owned the company and she didn't even know she owned the company because they were just using her name without her consent.
Yeah, her name was not on the license.
But she got the benefits from it though, they got the benefits from it.
So she was able to receive the license on behalf of the corporation and the corporation they got a war one that benefited from it, not the community, exactly correct.
So the license was awarded and the real ownership on that license read not in that lady's name, right, got it. So when we say predatory practices, the reason why our Arizona got started is because we've been here. We've been here from when it was legal to where it is now, and it's like it has just been a world wind of different things that have been sweeping across the country.
It's a copy, it's a copy and paste. What happened out in the Bay, what happened out in LA, what's happening out in Illinois.
And we're not going to let it happen here right.
That's why I implore you guys band together, Like there's so many things happening right now, and we have an opportunity to speak up, empower our communities, get the funding to the different places. I mean, we have so many different things that we need help with.
Okay, so let me let me, let me boil this down. Yeah, if I may go for there are twenty six licenses that have been set aside specifically to benefit black and brown communities that have historically been harmed by the War on drugs and the over criminalization of marijuana. And those twenty six licenses are at risk via legislation of being perverted to benefit police, YEP, perverted to benefit HIGHWAW enforcement.
That sounds like more police to me. To me, they're going to and on and on instead of actually benefiting black and brown communities. After school programs, expungement of criminal records, I.
See that here, Well, that's another whole thing and then itself.
So let's talk about that in one second. But so this is what we're dealing with. There's twenty six licenses that could be conceivably placed all around Phoenix or all around Arizona in communities of color. That's what it was written for. But there are people who have been hired to represent you, the listener, who are actively.
Working to change the language or otherwise develop a different vantage point so that they can take those funds that are meant for your communities, for your school stree after school programs, for your roads, for whatever it is that your community needs, and basically protect their interest, which oftentimes looks like more policing.
Welcome to how can how can the listeners of Civic Cipher help our Arizona combat those efforts by those elected representatives. Do we have any names? I love names?
We do.
If you don't want to say them, I will say them live.
So we do. And right now, what you guys can do is we are trying to get together. We are trying to get together and protest, bring our voices together, and demand change by amendment to this proposition, Demand change
to the funding make it sustainable and equitable. Russell Rusty Bowers is the House chair and right now he has a bill that is going through the through the House, and he is the one who has the power to heal, to acknowledge and repair the harm, to do something for the first time, be the first Arizona, because you know what, there's been so many programs out of this across the country who have gotten it wrong and had to get sued and had to get fight tooth and nail for equity.
But right now you have the chance. So email, you can call.
Him Rusty Bowers.
Yeah, his emails are Bowers be A w ers at a z L e g dot gov.
Okay, hang on one second, because I want you to say that again. Recently I had Diane post Up on the show. She's a lawyer. She works very hard to protect the interest of disadvantaged peoples and communities. She told me something I'll never forget. She said, once an elected representative receives ten emails, pieces of correspondence, complaints, visits, whatever,
they have to respond. So that means if there are ten people, in fact, if you're in your car by yourself listening to our voices right now, if you're at home, if you're at work, whatever it is you're doing, and you're able to hear our voices, you can be one of those ten people. But imagine if it was one hundred, Imagine if it was a thousand. And that's really how we let the community right its own story. That's how
we are able to be self determined. If you've if you know anyone who's been affected by the criminalization of marijuana, if you look around your neighborhoods and you see that, if you feel like the world has been unfair to black and brown people, you can email what's that email again? Uh?
This email? You cut me off?
Sorry about that. I think it was our Bowers.
Here we go. You got R. Bowers, So it's our bow E R s at az l EG dot gov. If you would like.
To call him, Yeah, let's talk about it. Six O two nine two six, I say thirty one twenty eight eight Again six O two nine two six thirty one twenty eight right here go. Now the other thing too.
You can also call Governor Doucy because when these bills move through right now, it is in the rules committee. And if you all remember anything from six A class, they hold the most power in government once they approve this budget, and that can happen at any moment. The community loses if they approve this prop these bills as is. That is two million dollars in a one time influx of funding. How is that equitable.
For twenty six licensees?
That's right? Not only that, but for the communities. Let's talk about the ecosystem of what cannabis does. Not everybody wants to be a dispensary owner, not everybody wants to run a store, not everybody wants to be a grower. But let's talk about the training programs. Let's talk about building generational wealth. Let's talk about educating our younger, vibrant people. Let's talk about STEM. Let's talk about real jobs that actually pay exactly Like you know, I've trimmed, I've been
in the rooms, I've done it all. I've done every crappy job you can think of in cannabis, and I'm thankful for it because every part is important.
Well, with that said, yeah, we now know what it is that we need to do. We have the email addresses, we have the phone numbers, and of course if you'd like to review that, you can check the website civiccipher dot com. But for now, if you're just tuning in to Civic Cipher, I'm your host, Rams's Jah. Our guests today are from our Arizona Nydia, Chad and Asar. We got about ten minutes left of the program, and you
know you were talking about Doug Doocy. I would imagine that he holds, as far as Arizona is concerned, final vtail power. Correct, So he was elected to represent all of us, not some of us. That's right, and it is up to all of us to hold him accountable to that charge. Right, all right? Okay, So how do we ensure that these multi these twenty six multimillion dollar licenses that will generate wealth well into the future, will
positively impact black and brown communities. How do we appeal to Doucy so that he does the right thing for all of us.
I'm gonna, I'm gonna all yeah, So I'm gonna I'm gonna just say one thing though, what I want everybody, what I want you guys to think about, is how what we've been talking about the disprofortunately impacted by the War on drugs. If you're out there, just share your story, start talking about it because right now it's a topic. And share your stories. You can share them with us at our Arizona on Instagram, and let's really start developing
a conversation about some of this. I know, you know, I have a deep story to tell myself, but every I don't know anybody who doesn't, you know, So just share your stories, make it be known you have a voice. And that's that's really what I wanted to just say real quick.
You guys can find all of our information. We're on Instagram. It's our so oh you are Underscore Arizona. You can find our website. We have a petition going around. Sign it, put your information in there, put your email in there. We'll keep you posted. It is www dot www dot ouras dot org. And more importantly, we need everybody to step up. Take a minute of your time. Call Doug Doocey, leave a voicemail his number six oh two five four to two forty three thirty one. Six two five four
to two forty three thirty one. And if you you know you don't like to call, that's fine. I know a lot of millennials, like myself, I like the phone, but a lot of people don't you can go to our Arizona and in our link there is a website that will take you directly to Governor Doucey's office and you can write him an email. You can send him a message and voice your concerns. This is your Arizona. This is you know, the generation in the future, like
the future is ours. What you guys decide to put your energy and efforts to matters now because this plant, I mean, whether you smoke it recreationally, whether you like to do it for medicine, whatever that is. This plant feeds, will house, will clothe, and will clean up our earth. Like there's so many uses that cannabis hemp will be doing for the future. So let's create ecosystems that can heal, repair and drive real, true change, because that's what matters right now.
Yep.
And one of the fears that I have, and this is why I really want to make sure that this goes to people who care about the plant, is that if you see what happened to the tobacco industry and how it's killing people, how they put all types of toxic shit and et cetera, or stuff, my apologies, don't think that the same thing can't happen to cannabis. It's
already happening, and it's already happening. They're not testing, you don't know what you're smoking, and it's going to start becoming to those conversations where we talked about how we know that cannabis is not addicted. Now all of a sudden, it's addicted. People are getting sick. These are the things that we don't want to happen for a plant that has does not does not have those properties. This is this is this is a plant that cures, not a
plant that cars cause us harm. The only harm that's been caused is by the enforcement of this war on drugs.
Absolutely.
I mean, we're talking about Arizona, who maybe less than ten years ago, let's talk about maybe ten, twelve, thirteen years ago, when you where you can be caught with a seed in your car. We had some of the toughest laws out here when it came to marijuana. So I know there's a lot of you out there that had to deal with that. And now, like I said, now's your time to speak up.
Right if you care, you have to let them know you exist.
You have to let them know that you're out there, so make those phone calls, because if you make those phone calls, then they can't imagine you away. They can't say, oh no, nobody cares about this, So we can place a straw man in your place and adjudicate for you and put our own stamp on something that's just gonna line our pockets. You have to let them know you're out there, so that they have to be responsible to their constituency. You know, there's so many things that they
have dragged their feet on. They dragged their feet on testing. They just imputed the testing laws. And because they implemented these testing laws in the wrong way, there's only three actual testing facilities that can actually test all the flour, all the products, and all of Arizona. Let me tell you as somebody who's been in these pensaries, that's lessening the quality of your products. And they're only testing for certain things, so other things that they haven't discovered yet,
they're still getting in your bodies. Not exactly, you're not really getting the best quality product. Since you're not getting the best quality product, and they have no incentives to compete to put out a better quality product. That's what you're gonna keep on getting So if you care about that, you need to let your voice be heard.
Yo, I have something for you because you're in the industry, so I like to shop around just to see what different shops do. And every single time I've gone into a shop and I've a for my CoA for the products that I've bought. In other words, my certificate of analysis. This is the breakdown of the vital cannabinoids that are being tested in your medicine or your recreational product, whatever you want to call it. How many shops are actually giving it? And more importantly, is that batch number on
that certificate? Does it match your product? Is it fully testing the full panel for metals, for arsenic, for contaminants for mold or are you just getting a potency number? Oh no, no, we're testing for potency. You see that here. I can't tell you how many places have not been able to provide an actual certificate of analysis. And this law was just passed forcing cannabis dispensaries November twenty twenty. They barely started forcing them to carry more strict testing on flour.
Right, And even though it's actually it's supposed to be implemented, businesses will hide the mandates because you have to have something posting in your dispensary that says that if you want it, we have to provide it to you. But they will hide that. They'll like put it someplace where you can't really see it. Put all the rest of their advertisements, and they'll put things on their shelves until they get busted.
It's crazy because you go other places and they full like you go shop in Colorado, you go shop in Cali, you go shop in Nevada. First thing that these products have on them full force that you see without even having to ask for a CoA, it's already tagged on the label. Arizona's not stepping up.
So clearly there's a lot of work to be done, but fortunately it's doable, absolutely so really quick, because we've got about a minute left. One more time, let's let everyone know how they can get in contact with you all similarly, all right, and then let's plug the our Arizona.
All right again. My name is Asar, last name is Roland. You can get in contact with me at at Ganja Guided on Instagram.
I'm Chad Diggs. I don't I don't do social media. Get through, okay.
My name is Nidia. You can find me at our underscore Arizona. My instagram is absolutely underscore hashed ova Ova and more importantly, the last thing I want to leave you all with is now that you know, what are you going to do about it? That's a great question and the answer is up to you. Once again, I want to thank you all for tuning into Civic Cipher. If you can hit the website civiccipher dot com, submit your questions any topics.
You can make a donation as well. You can download this in any other previous episodes if you want to review them. Until next week, y'all is