That the City Council, City Manager, and City Staff are requested to work as quickly as possible to enact the necessary laws and regulations, including zoning and licensing of retail cannabis establishments, in order to implement the state law in a manner that addresses the racial and economic injustices of the past

City of Cambridge O-8 ORIGINAL ORDER IN CITY COUNCIL March 5, 2018 COUNCILLOR ZONDERVAN COUNCILLOR SIDDIQUI WHEREAS: In the coming months the City Council will prepare for the July 1 legalization of cannabis in the Commonwealth; and WHEREAS: The term “marijuana” first entered the record in the early 20th century and prior to that, the plant had been referred to almost exclusively as “cannabis” in Western culture; and WHEREAS: The scientific name “cannabis” was intentionally replaced with “marijuana” by then Federal Bureau of Narcotics Commissioner Harry Anslinger in the 1930s in order to capitalize on a completely unrelated rise in anti-immigrant sentiment largely caused by the Great Depression; and WHEREAS: The Marijuana Tax Act of 1937, which effectively made possession or transfer of cannabis illegal in the US, was not based on scientific evidence but rather was written and passed largely based on racial arguments made by Mr. Anslinger; and WHEREAS: An ACLU study found that there were over 8 million cannabis arrests in the US from 2001-2010, 88% of which were for simple possession; and that on average a black person was 3.73 times more likely to be arrested for possession even though blacks and whites used the drug at similar rates; and WHEREAS: Using the word “marijuana” in official language and documents would inadvertently perpetuate this racist origin of the word; and WHEREAS: Delaying implementation of cannabis regulation in Cambridge would perpetuate the racial and economic injustice inherent in the current situation which still largely criminalizes the sale of recreational cannabis; now therefore be it ORDERED: That the City Council, City Manager, and City Staff be and hereby are requested to use the term “cannabis” in any legislation and/or in official documents which refer to the substance; and be it further

ORDERED: That the City Council, City Manager, and City Staff be and hereby are requested to work as quickly as possible to enact the necessary laws and regulations, including zoning and licensing of retail cannabis establishments, in order to implement the state law in a manner that addresses the racial and economic injustices of the past, such as by ensuring equitable enforcement and reasonable availability of cannabis throughout the city.