James Wright
The District’s commission charged with studying the problems of males
in the city recently met to discuss how substance abuse is negatively
impacting the lives of boys and men. The discussion is one of many being
held to form an action plan early next year. The goal is to provide
solutions to many of the situations that plague men and boys in D.C.
The District’s Commission on Fathers, Men, and Boys met June 29 at
the Wheatley Education Campus in Ward 5. Tony Dugger, executive director
of the commission, said the use of marijuana in the District is at a
high level and that has an adverse impact on the lives of the city’s
male population.
“We are in a city where many, many people use cannabis,” Dugger said
to an audience of 20 people.
“We have decriminalized marijuana in this
city and there is now access to medical marijuana.
Marijuana is a
problem for Black men in D.C.
“Many Black men have problems passing employment drug tests because
of the marijuana in their system. We know that Black men have the skills
to perform in the job market but we need to do make sure that they are
drug free.”
The commission was established in 2014 by the D.C. Council to address
issues such as substance abuse. Other areas explored include improving
educational outcomes for males, their employment prospects, and their
interactions with law enforcement.
With the legalization of marijuana spreading across the country this
year, George Garrow, chairman of the commission said, “Marijuana use is
placed these days in the category of alcohol.”
The National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Health have published
a brochure, “Marijuana Facts for Teens,” that says one in six people
who start using marijuana and 25-50 percent of those who use it every
day become addicted.” Numerous studies show casual marijuana use has
adverse effects on the body and mind and impairs judgment and motor
skills.
Alcohol abuse is also a problem for men in the District. The District of Columbia Youth Risk Behavior Survey,
released by the District’s Department of Health in 2012, shows that
more middle school students reported current use of alcohol (13 percent)
than marijuana (9 percent). The report also said more middle and high
school students used marijuana than tobacco products.
Even so, the substance that concerns many District officials is
synthetic drugs. Synthetic drugs, colloquially known as Scooby Snax,
Spice, K2, and Bizarro, aren’t scientifically tested as products by
the U.S. Food and Drug Administration; therefore the contents and their
safety have been questionable to many health and government officials.
During the meeting, there was a panel discussion of community and
government leaders who are well-acquainted with the negative affect that
substance abuse has on men of color in the District.
Juanita Price, CEO
of the Hillcrest Children & Family Center on Rhode Island Avenue,
said substance abusers have problems finding and keeping jobs. “Many
workplaces will not employ anyone who is using drugs,” Price said. “That
is why both the federal and District laws mandate that drug testing for
businesses that contract with them and/or do any type of interaction
with government.”
According to Charles Thornton, director of the Mayor’s Office on
Returning Citizens, about 57 percent of residents enrolled in the
District’s Court Services and Offender Supervision Agency have
tested positive for marijuana use. “Synthetic marijuana is not different
from PCP and it is just as bad.
Synthetic marijuana is dangerous
because you can become a zombie from it,” he said.
Price said the push to legitimize marijuana in the District isn’t
coming from Black people. “It is middle-class Whites who are
professionals that support marijuana legalization,” she said. “This is
part of the national campaign to support the marijuana industry. The
majority of the people in favor of decriminalization are White, many of
them White women.”
Tristan Wilkerson, a member of the commission and a millennial, said
the panelists and some of his commission members are missing the point.
“Kids and young people don’t think that smoking marijuana is inherently
bad,” she said. “Substance abuse needs to be addressed as a public
health issue and the focus should be on healing, rather than one of
public safety.”
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