About the Community Reinvestment Account

In 1971, President Richard Nixon declared a “war on drugs.” On the surface, this aimed to combat drug abuse on the supply and demand sides, but in truth, it targeted disadvantaged communities, particularly Black Americans. A disproportionate number of these policies focused on criminal justice enforcement and punishment for drug offenses — triggering disparate and systematic changes in the legal system. In the decades since, the escalation of mass incarceration continues to disproportionately impact Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) Washingtonians by restricting voting rights, economic achievement, wealth building, and educational attainment. 

The resulting arrests and convictions affected more than just the people who were caught in the criminal legal system – incarceration creates struggles and disrupts families, neighborhoods, and communities. 

In 2012, the legalization of recreational cannabis in Washington significantly reduced the number of cannabis-related arrests, but the racial disparities in drug enforcement are institutionalized in the design and implementation of federal and state legal systems from the historical war on drugs. For example, even in states that have legalized cannabis, research shows that Black Americans are almost twice as likely to be arrested for cannabis-related offenses as white Americans, adversely affecting their ability to secure housing, employment and generate wealth. 

In 2022, the Washington State Legislature set aside $200 million to invest in communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. Instead of authorizing Commerce to start granting this funding, the Legislature directed that the agency must first develop and present a community reinvestment plan to the Legislature. The Legislature provided funding for the development of the community reinvestment plan to inform distribution from the account.