Looking specifically at cocaine (crack vs powder), we can see that the amount of crack cocaine, a cheaper, less pure version of the drug found most commonly in low-income, non-white areas, is significantly less than the amount of powder cocaine one can possess before receiving the same sentence. Despite these policies seeming non-discriminatory on the surface, research shows young black are grossly over-represented in the prison population following possession charges, largely due to the specifics of mandatory sentencing laws. Let’s take a look at how we got here, and what is happening around the country to improve the system.įollowing the declaration of the War on Drugs, we quickly saw the introduction of nationwide mandatory minimum sentencing for anyone possessing controlled substances, and subsequently, an unprecedented increase in the prison population across the country. Unfortunately, this is a damaging approach, and the damage has been done. The lasting impacts of President Nixon’s 1971 declaration of the War on Drugs, however, have conditioned us to believe this disease does discriminate that drug is a “poor problem” that it is a “black problem” that being a junkie is a choice, you can quit, just say no. While most individuals with substance use disorders would greatly benefit from a health-focused response to this epidemic, American policymakers have long taken a different approach. Like many other chronic conditions, Substance Use Disorder impacts individuals from all walks of life, it does not discriminate against the color of your skin, where you live, how you were raised, what language you speak, or how successful society has deemed you.
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