Cynthia Nixon Just Dropped an Incredibly Eloquent Argument for Legalizing Recreational Marijuana

There have been a lot of terrific arguments for legalizing recreational marijuana, but I don’t think it’s ever been put as succinctly, or as well, as Cynthia Nixon just did it:

A lot of you have been asking about my position on marijuana. Here it is. pic.twitter.com/iEKLHgClFN

— Cynthia Nixon (@CynthiaNixon) April 11, 2018

In just 100 seconds, she lays it out beautifully:

—White people and people of color use recreational marijuana at roughly the same rates, but 80 percent of New Yorkers arrested for marijuana are black or Latino. Nixon undersells this, if anything—it’s insane that the overwhelming majority of arrests come from groups who represent a statistical minority!

—These arrests can dog people forever, leading to job and housing difficulty, and even deportation for noncitizens.

—Taxes from marijuana would generation millions for citizens, give new opportunities for farmers, and boost agriculture and create jobs in general.

—Finally, the perfect finishing quote: “The simple truth is, for white people the use of marijuana has effectively been legal for a long time. Isn’t it time we legalize it for everybody else?”

That’s the concise, devastating truth right there. Amazing how clear your message can be when truth is on your side, isn’t it? Nixon was a star of HBO’s Sex and the City, and is running for governor of New York as a progressive challenger to incumbent Andrew Cuomo.