Rochester, NY—In response to recent press statements by Monroe County District Attorney Sandra Doorley that marijuana legalization would lead to a rise in violent crime, Rosemary Rivera, Co-Executive Director of Citizen Action of New York, has issued the following statement:
“Marijuana has effectively been legal in white communities for years. When Sandra Doorley makes false claims about increases in violent crime if marijuana is legalized for the other half of the population, she is recklessly perpetuating the same racist ideas that created the ‘War on Drugs’ and drives mass incarceration. This rhetoric is exactly why marijuana legalization centered on racial justice and equity is necessary.”
###