Monogram, the cannabis line of hip hop artist and entreprenuer Jay-Z, has launched a national drug policy awareness campaign.
On Monday Monogram released several ads, which heavily criticized the war on drugs — focusing on the African American community.
“Weed is a federal crime, even in the states where sex with farm animals isn’t,” reads a campaign poster. “The war on drugs worked, if systemic racism was the goal,” reads another.
“You can marry your first cousin in more states than you can buy recreational weed,” read a third ad.
“Cannabis laws are out of date and disproportionately cruel and punishing when compared to the rest of the legal code. We still don’t have proper regulation for texting and driving in Missouri, but staying home and smoking weed will get you locked up,” commented Jay-Z, who’s real name is Sean Carter.
Carter, “I created this campaign to amplify the voices of those who have been penalized for the very same thing that venture capitalists are now prospering from with the emerging legal cannabis market. Far too often we forget that these are real people whose everyday lives and futures have been affected by this outdated legislature – people like Bryan Rone, who can no longer pursue a career in sales because of a cannabis-related conviction in 2003.”
The Brooklyn rapper launched Monogram back in October.
According to its website, the brand is a “collective effort” that strives to create a “new chapter in cannabis defined by dignity, care and consistency.”
