Cannifem represents much of what state lawmakers hoped for when they legalized marijuana in Illinois. The startup business was formed by three Black women from areas hardest hit by the war on drugs. Yet the group failed to get any of the three cannabis licenses for which it applied. And the women spent tens of […]
Social Equity
Curio Wellness launches $30M fund to help women and minorities own a cannabis dispensary
“We think of diversity as a keystone issue for the cannabis industry,” said Curio WMBE Fund managing director Jerel Registre in a conversation with TechCrunch. Registre’s conviction around this program is obvious as he explains the problem the fund is addressing. The new fund, started by the Maryland-based medical cannabis company Curio Wellness, aims to […]
Cannabis Ballot Wins Pave The Way For Social Justice Action By States And Companies
In the Unites States, cannabis drug laws have disproportionately affected Black and brown people, while newly-legal marijuana endeavors are predominantly owned by people who are white and male. This fall’s ballot wins for cannabis legalization give states and private businesses the opportunity to ameliorate racial disparity in an industry where about 17% of executive positions […]
He Was Arrested for Weed at 13, and He’s Selling It Legally at 27
In the hinterlands of central Massachusetts, Seun Adedeji works the crowd with an evangelist’s flair. “We’re here to get you guys medicated and elevated,” he says. At his store’s grand opening this month, he and his customers—some in khakis and leaning on canes, others in psychedelic T-shirts and ripped jeans—greet each other with pandemic-friendly elbow […]
Marijuana Licenses for Low-Income Entrepreneurs Closer to Reality
Colorado marijuana regulators are closer to creating new business licenses for eligible entrepreneurs who lack funding, with the micro-license applications expected to become available early next year. Securing a marijuana license has proven to be a costly, lengthy venture for a startup business in Colorado, with most licensing opportunities in Denver and other metro communities drying […]
Known Unknowns In LA’s Cannabis Social Equity Amendment
This summer, the LA Municipal Code was changed decisively (the “Amendment”); shifting power power in a cannabis social equity company to the equity-shareholder (“Equity Individual”). These changes will have a significant impact on LA’s social equity licensing, and they also raise new question. So it’s important applicants and operators understand what has changed, what’s the […]
Lightshade Supports Expungement Efforts in Denver
PRESS RELEASE No one should have criminal convictions on their record for low-level cannabis crimes DENVER (July 23, 2020)–Colorado Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill in June aimed at making Colorado’s cannabis industry more accessible to people of color, as well as those who have been convicted of cannabis crimes that are no longer on […]
Sustaining Equity through Economic Uncertainty
by Evelyn LaChapelle Black Lives Matter is a powerful movement against the persistent structural racism endured by Black people in American society. The protests that have swept every state in the country have made it crystal clear that anti-racism and social change are active, not passive, responsibilities. In addition to its call for individuals to […]
Addressing Systemic Racism and Barriers to Entry in the Cannabis Industry
By Naina Kamath While in recent years the main critique of the legal cannabis industry has revolved around its profitability despite high drug-related incarceration rates, a new focus, inspired in part by the Black Lives Matter movement, has been placed on the underrepresentation of Black business owners and executives in the legal cannabis industry. This […]
A Note From Dixie Brands CEO, Chuck Smith
The Dixie Elixirs brand was founded over 10 years ago as a pioneer in the cannabis industry. Recently, the national conversation about racism and injustice has focused our attention to the pain the Dixie name can cause due to the historical context of the word. We stand shoulder to shoulder with the Black community, and […]
