A photo of Miley Cyrus‘ mom has sparked a debate on Twitter about the war on drugs and white privilege.
The pop star’s musician father Billy Ray Cyrus posted the picture in question to social media alongside the caption, “Yes! Like I said yesterday @TishCyrus…. my how the times they are a changing,” and hashtagged it “#CrAzYMaMa.”
In it, Tish—Miley’s mom, and Billy Ray’s wife—stands besides a safe (?) full of dozens of bags of weed. Later on, Tish assured commenters in an Instagram comment that the marijuana in question did not belong to her, and neither did the house it was in.
Miley revealed on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon last December that her parents smoke weed on a regular basis. “My mom’s a big stoner,” she said. “I remember when I started smoking weed. I mean, she thought I was growing little horns and just becoming the devil, but now she smokes more pot than anyone I know.”
But while recreational marijuana use was legalized in the Cyrus’ home state of California in 2016, the photo of Tish has drawn criticism from those who say it is unfair that privileged white people can proudly show off pounds of weed without repercussion while thousands of others—(people of color)—remain incarcerated for marijuana-related charges.
Think of all the people incarcerated right now on marijuana charges. And you wonder why so many people understand that criminal justice is often neither fair nor just. https://t.co/mKNpzxGEVk
— Soledad O'Brien (@soledadobrien) February 16, 2019
lmao my cousin been locked up since season 1 of Bojack for an ounce. https://t.co/2TWzgqAgFi
— Zig Zaddy Kane (@yayforzig) February 17, 2019
So the white woman can have BRICKS & just post em but the black man has a gram and he might get buried under the jail ??♂️ https://t.co/oaayp1X1C2
— M A R C H 5th ?♂️ (@OGMarcy_) February 16, 2019
Do I hear possession with intent to distribute? ?? https://t.co/hEvpwPDotr
— Oxtail Auntie (@__Hennergy) February 17, 2019
Black people: get 45yrs sentences for carrying half a blunt
White people: https://t.co/pYET4d9YEh
— *:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟathena (@lazymodel) February 16, 2019
Imagine getting outta jail after 30 years for selling weed than seeing this pic https://t.co/uNzlq4Zv0u
— Instagram DJZeeti718⚡️⚡️? #KDZ?❤️?❤️ (@DJZeeti) February 16, 2019
yall ever think abt how weed is something that only white ppl can commercialize and turn into a personality trait. people of color will get called druggies so fast….. https://t.co/hgrMJ4R8Pn
— tony stark says “fuck ICE” | pinned!! ? (@wlwamerica) February 17, 2019
Every single person in jail right now for smoking pot should be released yesterday https://t.co/ifJFSIZxm4
— August J. Pollak (@AugustJPollak) February 16, 2019
Just got a call yesterday about a kid arrested with 15 lbs and y’all got Joel Embid size safe full. https://t.co/ApMaNMZ6I4
— Bakari Sellers (@Bakari_Sellers) February 16, 2019
"We have to stop putting people of color in jail for something that white people do with impunity,” – Cynthia Nixon on Marijuana use https://t.co/RJPW5Ev6Lg
— StanceGrounded (@_SJPeace_) February 17, 2019
A picture is worth a thousand words. The justice system is so fucked up. ??♀️ https://t.co/SkvLSpztQw
— ?????? (@feminineking) February 17, 2019
Remember when Mayor Pugh said weed arrests were important because it’s a direct connection to dangerous crime? https://t.co/HYhaUCg0el
— Lisa Snowden-McCray (@LisaMcCray) February 16, 2019
Meanwhile millions of men and women are sitting in prison on this type of shit, and even though Tish has her goddamn weed chest of drawers all over social media, do you think those people will have any type of rights (voting, employment, housing) when they get released? GTFO https://t.co/op0WWc6MDx
— ? jam. ? (@_lostcoastlines) February 17, 2019
— King Aladdin (@Chimz_) February 17, 2019
One Twitter user summed it up perfectly, writing: “Black ppl have weed we go to jail. White ppl have weed it’s celebrated.”
h/t BuzzFeed