In the United States, how has the illegality of marijuana been used in the past to disproportionately convict and charge people of color? How should this history be taken into account when examining the broader question of legalization?
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You pose a really interesting and, in many ways, troubling question. In the United States, judicial systems have disproportionately targeted people of color. Considering that the "War on Drugs" has disproportionately criminalized Latinx or black people, it is difficult to say that marijuana regulations or drug regulations in general are simply intended to improve the health and well-being of American citizens. It is also important to note, however, that this disproportionate targeting of certain races over others is not just a consequence of drug legislation; it's also the effect of the judicial and law enforcement culture in the United States, which has historically criminalized people of racial minorities more readily in most offenses.