CBDBuzzz.com
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Health
  • Videos
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
CBDBuzzz.com
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Health
  • Videos
  • Shop
No Result
View All Result
CBDBuzzz.com
No Result
View All Result

The legal cannabis industry must reckon with systemic racism

July 9, 2020
in News
Reading Time: 3 mins read
A A
The legal cannabis industry must reckon with systemic racism
401
SHARES
2.4k
VIEWS
ShareShareShareShareShare
IMAGE: MASHABLE COMPOSITE / SHUTTERSTOCK

The legal and medical cannabis industry has long been complicit in the systemic oppression of Black people. As Black Lives Matter protests continue around the country, activists, doctors, and entrepreneurs are calling for those in cannabis to dismantle the systemic racism the industry is built on.

In the wake of the protests against police brutality following the death of George Floyd, a Black man who was killed by a white police officer in Minneapolis, all facets of American culture are forced to rethink its approach to race. The cannabis industry, which has a  of $77 billion by 2020, is steadily growing. But the effects of the generations-long war on drugs are still prevalent in marginalized communities, particularly Black ones.

A  by American Civil Liberties Union this year concluded that even though white people and Black people consume cannabis at “roughly equal” rates, Black people are 3.64 times as likely to be arrested for marijuana possession. Since 2010, the report found, the increasing number of states legalizing or decriminalizing marijuana “has not reduced national trends in racial disparities.” The ACLU reports that there were actually more arrests for marijuana in 2018 than in 2015, despite the fact that eight states had either legalized or decriminalized it in the time since. In some states, Black people were six to 10 times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession.

Cannabis is currently recreationally legal in 11 states and Washington, D.C. and three states are  on whether or not to legalize marijuana, medically and recreationally, this November. Six more are fighting to get the issue on the ballot. The industry is set to continue booming as legalization efforts make progress.

But how can those in the cannabis business ensure a more equitable way forward?

Breaking into the cannabis industry is for the privileged

In 2017, Black entrepreneurs made up roughly 4.3 percent of cannabis business owners, Marijuana Business Daily reported. White people, for comparison, accounted for 81 percent of cannabis business owners.

Systemic racism isn’t just intertwined with the criminalization of cannabis, but in the legal industry, too. Breaking into this business as an entrepreneur is an uphill battle unless you’re privileged with financial security and connections.

If you have a felony conviction for marijuana possession, you’ll have a rough time obtaining a cannabis business license in many states. , for example, forbids anyone with a felony controlled substance offense within the past three years from obtaining one. To obtain a license in , applicants can’t have any controlled substance felonies within the past decade.  requires anyone working in the industry, in both medical and retail, to undergo a criminal background check. Those convicted of “excluded felony offense” in Nevada are not allowed to work in cannabis.

Dasheeda Dawson, a cannabis activist and author of the workbook How to Succeed in the Cannabis Industry was recently selected to serve on the Head of Cannabis for the City of Portland to shape policies around the plant. She’s the third Black woman in the country to hold a position of power in cannabis regulatory practices.

“Most markets were started by purposely keeping out people who have prior convictions with marijuana,” Dawson told Mashable in a phone call. “And as you know, Black people are almost four times as likely on average to be arrested for cannabis possession.”

And aside from explicitly keeping those with substance-related felonies out, those trying to break into cannabis also face extreme financial “barriers of entry.” Dawson noted that obtaining a license is a laborious process, both legally and financially. Since most banks won’t finance cannabis businesses because it’s still federally illegal, many of the upfront costs have to be self-financed or backed by venture capital. If you’re rich and well-connected, you already have a leg up.

“These are things that oftentimes are insurmountable for new, young, Black entrepreneurs who have the degrees, who have the corporate experience, but maybe not the financing,” Dawson continued.

To Read The Rest Of This Article By Morgan Sung on Mashable
Click Here

Published: July 08, 2020

The post The legal cannabis industry must reckon with systemic racism appeared first on L.A. Cannabis News.

Credit: Source link

Share160Tweet100SendShare28Pin36
Previous Post

Instagram Star Bilzerian Used Pot Biz As Piggybank, Suit Says

Next Post

Cannabis entrepreneurs agree to drop lawsuit over ‘flawed’ licensing process

Related Posts

The stoner’s guide to a lit Super Bowl Sunday
News

The stoner’s guide to a lit Super Bowl Sunday

February 7, 2023
Tripping with your significant other: Healing with psychedelic couples therapy
News

Tripping with your significant other: Healing with psychedelic couples therapy

February 7, 2023
Florida To Double Number of Medical Cannabis Licenses
News

Florida To Double Number of Medical Cannabis Licenses

February 7, 2023
Federal Judge Rules Gun Ban for Weed Smokers Unconstitutional
News

Federal Judge Rules Gun Ban for Weed Smokers Unconstitutional

February 7, 2023
Load More
Next Post
Cannabis entrepreneurs agree to drop lawsuit over ‘flawed’ licensing process

Cannabis entrepreneurs agree to drop lawsuit over ‘flawed’ licensing process

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recent Updates

The stoner’s guide to a lit Super Bowl Sunday

The stoner’s guide to a lit Super Bowl Sunday

February 7, 2023
Tripping with your significant other: Healing with psychedelic couples therapy

Tripping with your significant other: Healing with psychedelic couples therapy

February 7, 2023
Legislation To Launch Adult-Use Sales in Maryland Unveiled

Legislation To Launch Adult-Use Sales in Maryland Unveiled

February 7, 2023
Phil Hanley Is Taking It Easy

Phil Hanley Is Taking It Easy

February 7, 2023
Federal Judge Rules Gun Ban for Weed Smokers Unconstitutional

Federal Judge Rules Gun Ban for Weed Smokers Unconstitutional

February 7, 2023
CBDBuzzz.com

This is an online news portal that aims to share latest news about "News, Culture, Science, Health, Shop" and much more stuff like that. Feel free to get in touch with us!

Recent News

The stoner’s guide to a lit Super Bowl Sunday

The stoner’s guide to a lit Super Bowl Sunday

February 7, 2023
Tripping with your significant other: Healing with psychedelic couples therapy

Tripping with your significant other: Healing with psychedelic couples therapy

February 7, 2023

Subscribe Now

Loading
  • Contact Us
  • Privacy Policy

© 2020 matans3.sg-host.com - All rights reserved!

No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • News
  • Culture
  • Science
  • Health
  • Videos
  • Shop

© 2020 matans3.sg-host.com - All rights reserved!