is marijuana legalization a civil right issue?

[Bootes Void]

I have often hear that people cite marijuana legalization as an important civil right issue perhaps in the context of criminal justice.

Im not so sure I agree, as I think legalizing a drug is in the context of legalizing of product and has less to do with civil rights, or it cheapens civil rights issues down a bit.

What do you guys think?

[Hope For A New Era]

Yes, but shhhh! Right now legalization has crossover appeal. Don't turn it into a D issue.

[dead0man]

of course, the govt puts people in jail (thus depriving them of their civil rights) for doing what they want to do (which doesn't harm anyone else)

[Ferguson97]

Sort of, it's related to the war on drugs and mass incarceration, which is obviously a civil right issue.

But the right to smoke a joint is not in and of itself a civil rights issue.

[Enduro]

Define "civil rights"

A quick Google search says "the rights of citizens to political and social freedom." If we use definition, than it can be. Assuming by "social" they mean "personal".

[Red Velvet]

Only people of certain classes and certain races get massively persecuted because of it, so yes: it concerns their freedom. Anti-legalization people in 2020 are mostly racists; drug dealers who benefit from criminalization or moralized bores who think society will collapse if people can buy Marijuana on a store instead of getting involved with trafficking.

End war on drugs. Less for-profit Jails and more public schools.

[It’s so Joever]

Yes.
I would argue promoting and accepting the current drug culture we have will systematically push many communities into further poverty and decay.
That being said, the current war on drugs we have has failed and we need to recognize that those who are possessors are actually the victims of the illicit drug industries and should certainly not be punished.