Baller Alert
  • Home
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • The Baller Alert Show
    • Baller Alert Lists
    • Baller Alert Exclusives
    • Let Me Liv
    • Ballerific Music
    • That’s Baller
    • Fashion
    • Metaverse
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Sports
    • Op-Ed
    • Travel
    • Health
  • EVENTS
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • About
  • Political News
  • en español
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • The Baller Alert Show
    • Baller Alert Lists
    • Baller Alert Exclusives
    • Let Me Liv
    • Ballerific Music
    • That’s Baller
    • Fashion
    • Metaverse
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Sports
    • Op-Ed
    • Travel
    • Health
  • EVENTS
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • About
  • Political News
  • en español
No Result
View All Result
Baller Alert
No Result
View All Result

Al Harrington Explains Why Marijuana Policy Change is Essential To Police Reform

by Precious Gibson
July 15, 2020
Reading Time: 2 mins read
0
Al Harrington

Getty Images

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

Al Harrington, ex-NBA star and founder/CEO of Viola Brands, a company that assists minorities with entering into the marijuana business, is devoting his time to changing the justice system as it pertains to drug arrests. According to ACLU data, black people are 3.64 times more likely than white people to be arrested for marijuana possession despite nearly identical usage rates. This is something that the 16-year NBA veteran is seeking to modify.

In his interview with For the Win, Harrington opened up about his social justice efforts.

“We’re really focused on trying to bring home these people who are sitting in jail, still, for marijuana possession. Obviously, there are people now who’ve made millions and almost billions of dollars from it, and, you know, there are still people locked up. And after these people have served their time, they have no opportunities because they have to work around with this blemish on their record where it doesn’t allow them to apply for jobs.”

Harrington also pointed out that the way law enforcement handles marijuana in wealthy California neighborhoods versus neighborhoods with a large minority population differs drastically and needs to be addressed.

“And we have to honestly do a better job of holding police accountable for the way they police cannabis. Because I can tell you, for sure, that the way they police cannabis in Beverly Hills compared to where they do it in Compton is totally different. So, there’s a lot of things to peel back in regards to reform in general.”

Harrington believes that marijuana policy change is essential to police reform as a whole and that athletes and celebrities should be using their voices to ensure that reform is made for those who are unfairly being detained in lengthy jail sentences over marijuana offenses.

“I think that’s very important. It’s so important, right? Because, when you think about back in the day, there was a time where activists were probably more popular than athletes. Folks like Martin Luther King, Jr., their work was so strong and so prevalent. But now I think that’s flipped a lot. A lot of our advocates don’t have the same platform. But the people that do are the celebrities, the athletes. That’s why it’s so important that they must use their voice on these issues .. .It’s all about sacrifice, right? As athletes, we’re blessed to make millions of dollars because someone sacrificed their life for this opportunity. So it’s very important for athletes to step up.”

The 40-year-old feels that the world of sports is also warming up slowly to marijuana usage, as it is not penalizing players as strongly as it once did.

“The MLB is no longer testing. The NFL is still testing with no penalty, which is kind of weird. The NBA is kind of the last to the party, but they’re going to not test for cannabis in the bubble with the mental ride that they’re about to go through. Change is happening slowly, but surely.”

The former Pacer is partnering with the Marijuana Policy Project to host the “Reimagining Justice” event on July 15th, where the panel will speak about race, the marijuana business, and the bias that blacks face who are embarking on the legal marijuana journey.

 

Share this:

  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) Facebook
  • Click to share on Mastodon (Opens in new window) Mastodon
  • Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window) Reddit
  • Click to share on X (Opens in new window) X
  • Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window) WhatsApp
  • Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window) Tumblr
  • Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window) Email
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window) Pinterest

Like this:

Like Loading...

Discover more from Baller Alert

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Tags: Al Harrington

Related Posts

Louis Vuitton nike cortez
Fashion

Ballerific Fashion: Pharrell’s New LV Sneaker Looks Like a Nike Cortez But Costs $1,150

July 14, 2025

Pharrell Williams is taking us back while pushing things forward. Louis Vuitton just dropped its new Buttersoft sneaker, and anyone...

Supreme Court Allows Trump Administration to Keep Fired Federal Workers Off Payroll—For Now
News

Supreme Court Backs Trump—1,400 Education Department Workers Laid Off as Agency Faces Shutdown

July 14, 2025

The Supreme Court just gave Trump exactly what he wanted—approval to lay off 1,400 workers from the U.S. Department of...

Trey Songz
Entertainment

Trey Songz Accused of Brutal Beatdown on Cameraman Outside NY Club

July 14, 2025

Trey Songz is facing serious accusations once again, this time for allegedly assaulting a videographer during a late-night appearance at...

Tomatoes Recalled in 14 States Over Salmonella Concerns—Here’s What You Need to Know
News

Trump’s Tomato Tariffs Hit, Prices Set to Spike

July 14, 2025

After nearly 30 years of trading under the Tomato Suspension Agreement, the U.S. is pulling out of the deal—and slapping hefty...

Next Post
Five Years After George Floyd: A Nation Remembers, A Movement Marches On [Video]

Family Of George Floyd Sues Minneapolis For Use Of Neck Restraint; Says Police Brutality Is A Public Health Crisis

Leave a ReplyCancel reply

Baller News

Subscribe To Our Newsletter

* indicates required

Follow Us

Subscribe to Blog

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

© Copyright 2024, Baller Alert Inc. All Rights Reserved

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
    • News
    • Entertainment
    • The Baller Alert Show
    • Baller Alert Lists
    • Baller Alert Exclusives
    • Let Me Liv
    • Ballerific Music
    • That’s Baller
    • Fashion
    • Metaverse
    • Tech
    • Lifestyle
    • Sports
    • Op-Ed
    • Travel
    • Health
  • EVENTS
  • Videos
  • Shop
  • About
  • Political News
  • en español
%d