LETTER: MLK Day and marijuana establishments

I was incredulous as I read Rory Appleton’s article headlined “AG, others spotlight King’s call for justice/Drug war blamed for racial inequity.” For starters, why would a high-ranking official such Aaron Ford choose to make any statement from a cannabis dispensary and then make the attempt to tie Dr. Martin Luther King’s legacy to his comments regarding drugs?

Dr. King’s “dream” was equality for all — especially for African Americans. Drugs such as marijuana are not a contributor to that dream. In fact, all drugs contribute to the debasing of that dream.

The reality is that African Americans are incarcerated for drug-related issues more frequently than others. Drug use contributes to joblessness, impedes education and brings financial ruin. To suggest that jobs for African Americans in the marijuana industry would be a savior for them is ludicrous. And to bring Dr. King’s dream into the mix is just criminal.