Tamara Netzel is Shining a Light on the Cruel Consequences of Prohibition
Tamara Netzel (left) and Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring
“I grew up in rural Pennsylvania - a town about an hour north of Pittsburgh. That’s Western Pennsylvania which is vastly different in culture than many other regions of the state. In the rural areas where I lived I was not exposed to very much diversity. I was one of the 2000 white students to maybe two black students in my high school. I was one of six kids and my parents made eight in the family.”
Growing up in rural Pennsylvania shaped the person I used to be and some of what kind of person I am today. While my first experiences being in culturally diverse environments took place as I moved the dozen times with my husband before he retired as a Colonel for the U.S. Army, it took my work in cannabis advocacy in the last two years to truly see my own privilege and gain a better understanding of systemic racism.
When I started as an advocate for medical cannabis, I was all about medical cannabis for treating my Multiple Sclerosis only and others around me were saying the same thing. I testified in my General Assembly in Virginia to change the medical cannabis law and it was cool that I had the opportunity to get on national TV on NBC’s Dateline to voice my opinion for medical access. I had no plans to do any more advocacy work and actually was intimidated to try because I am so new in this cannabis space. Then, as I learned how to treat my Multiple Sclerosis with cannabis, it didn’t seem right to strictly advocate for medical cannabis when my perfect medicine involved a little bit of THC, the one ingredient that was nearly taboo in medical cannabis circles at the time.
“I made a commitment to approach cannabis advocacy like the mantra I adopted from my teaching career: to be a lifelong learner, admitting and owning up to what I don’t know, not letting the fear of what others might think of my ignorance stop me from learning, and teaching others.”
A student viewing the exhibit at the Mary Baldwin University
I was reluctant at first, but I decided to join NORML and attend their events to learn more about cannabis prohibition. It was nothing like I imagined and I knew then that I had to do something to help the movement in my state. I made a commitment to approach cannabis advocacy like the mantra I adopted from my teaching career: to be a lifelong learner, admitting and owning up to what I don’t know, not letting the fear of what others might think of my ignorance stop me from learning, and teaching others.
It became clear to me that marijuana criminalization is at it’s core racist when I attended a congressional hearing in D.C. during which Congressman Hakeem Jeffries read a quote from Harry Anslinger saying, “Reefer makes darkies think they are as good as white men.” I had read Anslinger quotes in the past, and I knew of his racist policies, but it was different to have a member of congress repeat those words to make a point about systemic racism live, in a formal meeting. It confirmed for me the history and foundation of marijuana criminalization’s racist motivations. That was only one of the shocking Anslinger quotes shared that day.
The creation and evolution of my nonprofit organization, Cruel Consequences: Portraits of Misguided Law, coincides with my own journey of listening, learning, and amplifying voices of those whose lives are affected by marijuana prohibition and failed policy. Black people are disproportionately affected by marijuana criminalization at a rate of 4 to 1 compared to white people, even though the consumption rate is the same. That is a national average. In many areas of the U.S. Black people are arrested at 9 to 1 ratio compared to white cannabis consumers.
“Cruel Consequences was created to show the human cost of marijuana prohibition in portraits of those who have been harmed by the war on drugs beyond incarceration, in ways often overlooked…”
Cruel Consequences was created to show the human cost of marijuana prohibition in portraits of those who have been harmed by the war on drugs beyond incarceration, in ways often overlooked, like: denial of employment; housing; college or other loans; and, child custody. These things are still happening even in states where marijuana has been legalized.
I’m not sure if I ever had a moment where I decided I wanted to work in drug policy or that I’d call it a career of any sorts. At the risk of sounding cliche’ it’s more of a calling that keeps me going through moments of discouragement. I’m a retired middle school teacher and just started Cruel Consequences thinking I would share the stories of people in Virginia in order to change some minds and hearts in my home state. The positive feedback about the uniqueness of the project and its potential to help change marijuana laws has kept me going.
WHAT IS MULTIPLE SCLEROSIS (MS)?
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an unpredictable disease of the central nervous system that disrupts the flow of information within the brain, and between the brain and body.
The cause of MS is still unknown. Scientists believe that a combination of environmental and genetic factors contribute to the risk of developing MS.
The progress, severity and specific symptoms of MS in any one person cannot yet be predicted. Most people with MS are diagnosed between the ages of 20 and 50, with at least two to three times more women than men being diagnosed with the disease.*Source: The National Multiple Sclerosis Society
The concept of showing a portrait - the opposite of a mug shot - and few lines about this assumed criminal has not been done quite like Cruel Consequences is doing it. We focus on getting people to talk about marijuana law reform by amplifying the voices of our portrait participants. The project is designed like an art collection and we have exhibited in art galleries, civic group meetings, state governmental meetings, and university classes where marijuana law reform education is scarce and educating people in demographics that correspond the same. Our portraits and the activities we do to prompt people to question their assumptions and check their bias with marijuana has only been met with positive feedback by so many on all sides of this issue.
“Marijuana was made illegal through false information and ‘portraits’ of people associated with it…These negative images still permeate society’s snapshot of those who are arrested for marijuana…”
Marijuana was made illegal through false information and ‘portraits’ of people associated with it since Anslinger’s film, Reefer Madness. These negative images still permeate society’s snapshot of those who are arrested for marijuana regardless of the progress that has been made on the state level in the majority of U.S. states. It’s like a tale with many different perspectives.
It hasn’t been easy to find mentors or allies through developing this project. Most of the time it has been me doing this alone. There are not a ton of organizations doing what cruelconsequences.org is doing. There are some like us, but no one doing things the same way as we are. Many times people have the want to help, but don’t have the means or time to do so, or they back away when they find out there is no money it. But, I also understand I’m able to volunteer and have the time to do so, unlike others. I don’t fault anyone for their reasons. I know it’s my privilege that allows me to do so, but I am not gonna waste that privilege by doing nothing for those don’t have my same privilege.
Cruel Consequences exhibit at the 2019 NORML Convention
There are so many advocates in organizations like NORML, Virginia NORML, and in my collaborating with the people at Last Prisoner Project and magazines like The Emerald who have helped me as mentors so far. However, each and every portrait participant I interview and get to know better through adding them to the project teaches me more than I could have imagined in this space. I take my place to amplify their voices very seriously and don’t want the attention to be on me as much. So, it’s fitting to mention them by name here: Harry Kelso, Joe Francis, Tyrone Matthews, Brooke Colquhoun, Michael Scofield, Jeff Krajnak, Trenice Holley, Ryanna and Joe McMinn, Edward Tobler, Dolores Halbin, Jessica Andreavich, Lucas Loy and the names of our future stories coming out.
“It’s the implicit bias from racially charged origins and the explicit bias society has accepted about anyone who touches marijuana that made marijuana illegal in the first place.”
A lifetime sentence for marijuana does not always involve incarceration. Nor is it rare. Yes, we need to release the prisoners of cannabis in the U.S., but what is often overlooked is over 700,000 Americans, whether they are incarcerated or not, that are saddled with lifetime consequences after a marijuana charge. It’s the implicit bias from racially charged origins and the explicit bias society has accepted about anyone who touches marijuana that made marijuana illegal in the first place. It was not science based. So, when society brands human beings as criminals for life and sets them up for failure by denying employment, housing, and college loans because they have a marijuana charge, then has the audacity to ask why they can’t do better in life, it makes no sense.
My proudest moments are the ones that have organically happened with this project which has given it depth and value in circles of advocates working for marijuana reform for decades. It gives me confidence I have done something worthwhile without having much experience doing so and it is what makes it different that is the reason I have to keep it going.
“The only advice I’ve ignored since being in the cannabis space is the kind that would have stopped Cruel Consequences from existing, so I have no regrets I didn’t take that advice.”
I don’t regret any of the experiences I’ve had in my life because they have brought me to where I am now because of the lessons I’ve learned from them. The only advice I’ve ignored since being in the cannabis space is the kind that would have stopped Cruel Consequences from existing, so I have no regrets I didn’t take that advice.
Changing the entire structure of stigma and bias of marijuana is what my work with Cruel Consequences is about. I was ready to quit at a point and had to question whether I, as a white middle-aged woman, have any business being in this space, but I continue to listen and learn about what it means to be an ally to communities of POC. This project is only 18 months old and every evolvement surprises me as more find out more. There was never one moment, but many before and many to come that helped me realize that this work is for me and continues to motivate me. I can’t wait for those future moments.
About Cruel Consequences:
Cruelconsequences.org and our portrait collection exhibits aim to bring awareness to those who have suffered collateral consequences to cannabis conviction Nationwide. Consequences like loss of employment, denied college loans, denied housing, and denied child custody can set a person on a downward spiral just because they were arrested for cannabis.
January 2020 marks one year since we launched this project. We’ve accomplished so much in our first year educating people about the human cost of marijuana prohibition. We hope to do so much more in 2020 towards our goal of telling the collective story with at least one story from each one of the 50 states.
We’ve displayed our exhibit at political events like the recent Virginia Attorney General’s Cannabis Summit, the National Cannabis Festival in DC, the National Organization For Reform of Marijuana Laws Conference, Virginia NORML events like Gallery 5 art center in Richmond, CannaVote Expo, Party Politics Debate Watch party, National Cannabis Festival Poetry Slam, Mary Baldwin University sociology classes, and we even have our portraits on extended exhibit at a Yoga studio, Mindyourbodyoasis in Crystal City, Virginia. We’ve made an impact on thousands including lawmakers like Governor Northam of Virginia, Virginia Attorney General Mark Herring, Commonwealth Attorneys of Virginia like Buta Biberaj of Loudon county.