New Jersey Marijuana Legalization USAGM
Metadata
- New Jersey Marijuana Legalization USAGM
- June 22, 2022
- Content Type Package
- Language English
- Transcript/Script English USAGM SHARE PLAYBOOK SLUG: New Jersey-Marijuana Legalization-TV HEADLINE: New Jersey Gives Convicted Marijuana Offenders Priority Shot at Selling Legal Cannabis TEASER: New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission gives a head start to people with previous marijuana convictions PUBLISHED AT: 6/22/2022 at 2pm BYLINE: Aron Ranen CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: New York City VIDEOGRAPHER: Aron Ranen PRODUCER: Igor Tsikhanenka SCRIPT EDITORS: Igor Tsikhanenka, MAS VIDEO SOURCES: VOA, Reuters PLATFORMS: WEB__TV_X__RADIO_X__ TRT: 3:15 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TV UPDATE:)) [[INTRO]] [[Tahir Johnson and his lifelong friend Jon Dockery have been arrested multiple times for marijuana possession. But now, the two men will be among the first who will be able to sell it legally as part of a program set up by the New Jersey’s cannabis regulatory commission. One of the program’s requirements is to have a felony for cannabis-related offenses. But not everybody is in favor of giving perks to former convicts. Aron Ranen has more]] ((NARRATOR)) [[NATS, FANS, EQUIPMENT AT FACILITY]] Tahir Johnson and Jon Dockery have just received two of the 11 newest cannabis dispensary licenses in New Jersey. Because they each have been convicted on marijuana-related charges, they received priority consideration for the licenses under the state’s new cannabis program. On this day, they're visiting an indoor farm, a potential source of cannabis for their dispensaries. ((RADIO TRACK: Tahir Johnson is a dispensary license recipient)) ((Tahir Johnson, Dispensary Liense Recipient)) “This is huge man; I know I'm certainly thankful for this opportunity to be selling legal weed, man.” ((RADIO TRACK: Jon Dockery is Tahir Johnson’s lifelong friend, who received a separate dispensary license)) ((Jon Dockery, Dispensary License Recipient)) “Maybe 10 years ago, you’d have felt like a criminal coming in something like this. But this is a wonderful feeling.” ((NARRATOR)) Johnson and Dockery both have been arrested multiple times for marijuana possession. ((SOURCE: ACLU) A recent ACLU reports says African Americans are almost four times more likely than whites to be arrested for using marijuana despite roughly equal usage. ((RADIO TRACK: Jon Dockery again)) ((Jon Dockery, Dispensary License Recipient (In English) )) “I think I caught my first weed charge when I was about 19 years old. It stopped me from getting a lot of jobs later on in life. So maybe the young kids that are coming up now, maybe if they're 19 years old, or 20 years old, and they get caught with you know, two, three grams of marijuana, they won't have it stop them from getting jobs and opportunities and things that can change their lives”. ((NARRATOR)) The State of New Jersey has decided to give a second chance to those who have been disproportionally penalized under the previous cannabis laws. ((RADIO TRACK: Wesley McWhite is Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission)) ((Wesley McWhite, New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission)) "New Jersey wanted to make sure that we are addressing the social impact, the negative social impact of cannabis prohibition. And so, it was important to make sure that those that were most impacted have the least amount of barriers to contend with when trying to apply for a cannabis business license." ((NARRATOR)) Not everyone is in agreement on providing a head start to people with previous convictions for marijuana. ((RADIO TRACK: Retired Police Chief Patrick Phelan is the executive director of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police)) ((Patrick Phelan, New York Association of Chiefs of Police)) “Certainly, making the previous conviction for a crime a prerequisite is rewarding criminal behavior seems a little ridiculous. It doesn't need to be an exclusionary factor, but making it prerequisite is rewarding, if not encouraging criminal activity”. ((Courtesy: SOURCE: NORML)) (for the US map graphic)) ((NARRATOR)) Despite pushback, 20 U.S. states, including New York, have legalized marijuana. New York has set aside $200 million for a so-called social equity fund, part of which will be used to help people convicted of marijuana offenses to open cannabis dispensaries. ((RADIO TRACK: Tahir Johnson, Dispensary license recipient)) ((Tahir Johnson, Dispensary License Recipient)) “What we're doing is trying to have an opportunity for us who've been arrested for cannabis, impacted by cannabis prohibition to now we have an opportunity to share in the you know, the legal market and the wealth being created here”. ((NARRATOR)) While some worry the program unfairly rewards criminal behavior, others believe it provides minorities an equitable chance to benefit from a fast-growing industry. ((Aron Ranen, for VOA News, New York City))
- Transcript/Script USAGM SHARE PLAYBOOK SLUG: New Jersey-Marijuana Legalization-TV HEADLINE: New Jersey Gives Convicted Marijuana Offenders Priority Shot at Selling Legal Cannabis TEASER: New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission gives a head start to people with previous marijuana convictions PUBLISHED AT: 6/22/2022 at 2pm BYLINE: Aron Ranen CONTRIBUTOR: DATELINE: New York City VIDEOGRAPHER: Aron Ranen PRODUCER: Igor Tsikhanenka SCRIPT EDITORS: Igor Tsikhanenka, MAS VIDEO SOURCES: VOA, Reuters PLATFORMS: WEB__TV_X__RADIO_X__ TRT: 3:15 VID APPROVED BY: MAS TYPE: TV UPDATE:)) [[INTRO]] [[Tahir Johnson and his lifelong friend Jon Dockery have been arrested multiple times for marijuana possession. But now, the two men will be among the first who will be able to sell it legally as part of a program set up by the New Jersey’s cannabis regulatory commission. One of the program’s requirements is to have a felony for cannabis-related offenses. But not everybody is in favor of giving perks to former convicts. Aron Ranen has more]] ((NARRATOR)) [[NATS, FANS, EQUIPMENT AT FACILITY]] Tahir Johnson and Jon Dockery have just received two of the 11 newest cannabis dispensary licenses in New Jersey. Because they each have been convicted on marijuana-related charges, they received priority consideration for the licenses under the state’s new cannabis program. On this day, they're visiting an indoor farm, a potential source of cannabis for their dispensaries. ((RADIO TRACK: Tahir Johnson is a dispensary license recipient)) ((Tahir Johnson, Dispensary Liense Recipient)) “This is huge man; I know I'm certainly thankful for this opportunity to be selling legal weed, man.” ((RADIO TRACK: Jon Dockery is Tahir Johnson’s lifelong friend, who received a separate dispensary license)) ((Jon Dockery, Dispensary License Recipient)) “Maybe 10 years ago, you’d have felt like a criminal coming in something like this. But this is a wonderful feeling.” ((NARRATOR)) Johnson and Dockery both have been arrested multiple times for marijuana possession. ((SOURCE: ACLU) A recent ACLU reports says African Americans are almost four times more likely than whites to be arrested for using marijuana despite roughly equal usage. ((RADIO TRACK: Jon Dockery again)) ((Jon Dockery, Dispensary License Recipient (In English) )) “I think I caught my first weed charge when I was about 19 years old. It stopped me from getting a lot of jobs later on in life. So maybe the young kids that are coming up now, maybe if they're 19 years old, or 20 years old, and they get caught with you know, two, three grams of marijuana, they won't have it stop them from getting jobs and opportunities and things that can change their lives”. ((NARRATOR)) The State of New Jersey has decided to give a second chance to those who have been disproportionally penalized under the previous cannabis laws. ((RADIO TRACK: Wesley McWhite is Director of the Office of Diversity and Inclusion at the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission)) ((Wesley McWhite, New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission)) "New Jersey wanted to make sure that we are addressing the social impact, the negative social impact of cannabis prohibition. And so, it was important to make sure that those that were most impacted have the least amount of barriers to contend with when trying to apply for a cannabis business license." ((NARRATOR)) Not everyone is in agreement on providing a head start to people with previous convictions for marijuana. ((RADIO TRACK: Retired Police Chief Patrick Phelan is the executive director of the New York State Association of Chiefs of Police)) ((Patrick Phelan, New York Association of Chiefs of Police)) “Certainly, making the previous conviction for a crime a prerequisite is rewarding criminal behavior seems a little ridiculous. It doesn't need to be an exclusionary factor, but making it prerequisite is rewarding, if not encouraging criminal activity”. ((Courtesy: SOURCE: NORML)) (for the US map graphic)) ((NARRATOR)) Despite pushback, 20 U.S. states, including New York, have legalized marijuana. New York has set aside $200 million for a so-called social equity fund, part of which will be used to help people convicted of marijuana offenses to open cannabis dispensaries. ((RADIO TRACK: Tahir Johnson, Dispensary license recipient)) ((Tahir Johnson, Dispensary License Recipient)) “What we're doing is trying to have an opportunity for us who've been arrested for cannabis, impacted by cannabis prohibition to now we have an opportunity to share in the you know, the legal market and the wealth being created here”. ((NARRATOR)) While some worry the program unfairly rewards criminal behavior, others believe it provides minorities an equitable chance to benefit from a fast-growing industry. ((Aron Ranen, for VOA News, New York City))
- NewsML Media Topics Arts, Culture, Entertainment and Media
- Network VOA
- Embargo Date June 22, 2022 13:52 EDT
- Byline Aron Ranen
- Brand / Language Service Voice of America