‘An important day for cannabis equity in Illinois:’ New bill aims to address flawed licensing rollout, add 115 pot shop permits March 17, 2021 AggregatedNews Social Equity 0 Comments State Rep. La Shawn Ford framed the planned bill as the next step in ensuring Illinois meets its goal of diversifying the white-dominated weed industry. But he acknowledged that work won’t be complete until “Black and brown people start making… Read More→
Cuomo Issues Amendments to His Legalization Proposal—Next Steps for Legalized Cannabis in New York February 25, 2021 Lori Green New York, Social Equity 0 Comments By Lori B. Green and Catherine A. Savio, Nixon Peabody LLP As the Empire State moves toward legalization, Governor Cuomo has released amendments to his plan to legalize adult-use cannabis in the State of New York. The amendments permit home… Read More→
Why Closing the Gender Gap in the Cannabis Industry is Critical to Success February 8, 2021 Susan Gunelius Corporate Social Responsibility, HR and Staffing, News & Insights, Social Equity 0 Comments A lack of equal representation by employees of all genders negatively affects every level of cannabis businesses and the cannabis industry – from products to marketing, access to capital, revenue, and the creation of generational wealth – according to new… Read More→
Former NBA star presses lawmakers for Black equity in marijuana industry February 6, 2021 AggregatedNews Social Equity 0 Comments Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Sen. Cory Booker and Sen. Ron Wyden announced this week that they are working to advance comprehensive marijuana reform legislation. “The War on Drugs has been a war on people — particularly people of… Read More→
Can the cannabis industry be an agent of social justice? Or is it just another big business? January 29, 2021 AggregatedNews News & Insights, Social Equity 0 Comments Jason White has created dazzling advertising and marketing campaigns for Nike and Disney, the World Cup and Olympic Games, to name a few. But when the Georgetown alumnus told his parents he was exiting Apple-owned Beats by Dre for the… Read More→
First year of legal marijuana in Illinois generated big bucks but no new minority license holders January 1, 2021 AggregatedNews Illinois, Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
Curio Wellness launches $30M fund to help women and minorities own a cannabis dispensary December 2, 2020 AggregatedNews Banking, Finance & Real Estate, Social Equity 0 Comments “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… Read More→
Cannabis Ballot Wins Pave The Way For Social Justice Action By States And Companies November 18, 2020 AggregatedNews Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
He Was Arrested for Weed at 13, and He’s Selling It Legally at 27 October 29, 2020 AggregatedNews News & Insights, Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
Marijuana Licenses for Low-Income Entrepreneurs Closer to Reality September 29, 2020 AggregatedNews Colorado, Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
Known Unknowns In LA’s Cannabis Social Equity Amendment September 29, 2020 Ariel Clark Policy & Legal, Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
Lightshade Supports Expungement Efforts in Denver July 23, 2020 Press Release Press Releases, Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
Sustaining Equity through Economic Uncertainty July 21, 2020 Evelyn LaChapelle Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
Addressing Systemic Racism and Barriers to Entry in the Cannabis Industry July 10, 2020 AggregatedNews Social Equity 0 Comments 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… Read More→
A Note From Dixie Brands CEO, Chuck Smith June 30, 2020 Chuck Smith Social Equity, The Buck Stops Here 0 Comments 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… Read More→