(Image via Facebook)

Last week Charlo Greene of “Fuck it I Quit” fame started a different type of fire on her Facebook page. Greene, who definitely isn’t one to shy away from controversy and has been outspoken since she outed herself as the owner of Alaska’s largest medical marijuana club, caused a bit of commotion when she posted the following status,

Any black person or minority that doesn’t support marijuana legalization or decriminalization is either truly ignorant or suffers from a serious case of self-hatred ‪#‎justsaying‬ ‪#‎endthewaronus‬

Charlo Greene – Any black person or minority that doesn’t… | Facebook

While some applauded Greene’s status, quite a few of her followers declared that they were no longer following her.

“Why throw racism everywhere? Many whites are the ones trying to get it legalized, don’t make this a race issue too it’s more like a government and human freedoms issue,” wrote one user.

When she highlighted those who supported her statements, another user countered with the comically tone-deaf “I’m a white male from a poor family, that puts me right in the minority category also.”

But Charlo Greene still didn’t back down, after asking her followers about the possibility of promoting weed legalization by partnering with black churches, she also also posted this status, ending it with “This is a race issue. This is a class issue. This is a power issue.”

Charlo Greene – (RP from my private page) I will NEVER… | Facebook

Naturally some of her followers and male admirers didn’t take her message too well, but it seems that Greene won’t be slowing down anytime soon. I must say I’m glad she finally went there. In retrospect, I realize I was probably so enamored with her bold action as a black woman in a “respectable” position, that the importance of someone like Greene speaking out about the criminalization of marijuana disproportionately became an afterthought. Her Facebook status brings up an uncomfortable truth that many of the activists who support her cause are carelessly glossing over, legalization does little for the individuals currently serving time for drug offenses, 57% of whom or black or Latino.

As one of the few people of color who has a stake in the lucrative ever-growing legal marijuana industry, Charlo Greene’s voice is definitely an important one.