New Jersey is making headlines with their policy of prioritizing folks with prior cannabis convictions when it comes to working legally in the industry. 

While putting social equity first and allowing people of color and those affected by the War on Drugs a chance to enter the industry is nothing new, this state is taking things one step further and actually giving priority to those with convictions. 

According to a video by VOA News, Tahir Johnson and Jon Dockery, two lifelong friends, have been arrested multiple times for cannabis possession. Now, thanks to this new law, they will be some of the first who will be able to sell cannabis legally in the state. 

The program was set up by New Jersey’s cannabis regulatory commission, and it also creates priority status for other folks, including minority-, woman-, disabled-, and veteran-owned businesses certified as such by the New Jersey Department of the Treasury, and those who have businesses owned by folks located in an impact zone, a low-income area more impacted by the War on Drugs.

Then there is the social equity piece. This includes businesses owned by people who live in economically disadvantaged areas of the state, as well as those who have expunged or non-expunged prior cannabis convictions. 

“Social equity businesses, diversely owned businesses, and impact zone businesses will be prioritized in the licensure process so that their applications are reviewed before other applicants—regardless of when they apply,” the state’s website explains. “Applications from entities that meet criteria for more than one priority status will be reviewed, scored, and approved in accordance with the status of highest priority.” 

Johnson and Dockery received two of the 11 priority licenses given out so far because of prior cannabis convictions. Both men have been arrested multiple times for cannabis possession. 

“We’ve been arrested for cannabis, and now we have a chance to share in the market and the wealth being created here,” Dockery says regarding their second chance and their new foray into the industry. 

According to the ACLU, Black people are four times more likely than whites to be arrested for cannabis use, possession, and sale. This is why many states are taking this disparity into account when it comes to laws and regulation. 

Wesley McWhite of the New Jersey Cannabis Regulatory Commission says in the video, “We wanted to make sure that we are addressing the negative social impact of cannabis prohibition, so it was important to make sure that those who have the most barriers have an easier time getting licenses and into the industry.”

However, not everyone is happy with this rule. Unsurprisingly, a police group spoke out against this allowance. Patrick Phelan of the New York Association of Chiefs of Police feels that doing this is “rewarding if not encouraging criminal activity.”

Of course, this argument ignores the fact that most people would much rather have never gotten a life-impacting cannabis conviction, whether or not it helps them get into the legal industry now, and that the whole point of measures like this is to rebuild a society in which cannabis is a legitimate industry and not a criminal one.  

New Jersey’s closest neighbor, New York, has set aside a social equity fund of $20 million for similar reasons, hoping to rebuild an industry in the image of the folks who were the most impacted. 

While this will in no way completely erase the harm done by the War on Drugs in New Jersey, it is a positive step towards filling the industry with the folks who are already familiar with it and suffered because of illegal cannabis in the past. 

The post New Jersey Gives Licensing Priority to Convicted Offenders appeared first on High Times.

The post New Jersey Gives Licensing Priority to Convicted Offenders appeared first on Paradise Found.

MJBizDaily released a report on October 4 called “Women & Minorities in the Cannabis Industry,” which reviews new statistics about female and people of color executives and business owners in the cannabis industry.

According to MJBizDaily’s findings, the percentage of women and minorities in executive level positions in the cannabis industry have dropped between 2019-2021. The national average of women who hold executive positions in the industry throughout the country is 29.8 percent, but over the past two years, women in those positions in the cannabis industry has fallen to 22.1 percent.

In 2019, approximately 36.8 percent of executive positions in cannabis were held by women. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics suggests that the percentage of women in higher level positions in other industries is significantly higher, around 30 percent (in 2018, it was 21 percent).

Likewise, the percentage of people of color in executive positions decreased as well. Currently, only 13.1 percent of those positions are held by people of color, compared to 28 percent in 2019.

In the report’s introduction, MJBizDaily author Jenel Stelton-Holtmeier shares that in this third iteration of this report, much has changed in the industry. “However, racial and gender diversity in the marijuana industry is still lacking—especially in ownership and executive positions,” she wrote. “So too is the amount of hard data by which to benchmark the current state of diversity in the marijuana sector, understand the obstacles standing in the way of a more equitable industry and contextualize the initiatives states are putting in place to address the issue.”

The report was written with data collected from various governmental agencies, as well as statistics gathered by MJBizDaily surveys.

Representation of People of Color and Women in Cannabis Broken Down

The report covers 12 charts reflecting “deficiencies” in the industry’s diversity. On a national level, 19.9 percent of women own a cannabis business. Twenty-five percent operate out of Nevada, 19 percent in Colorado, 10 percent in Ohio and five percent Massachusetts, which makes a stark comparison between older markets, newer markets, and those that currently only support medical cannabis versus recreational cannabis industries.

The report also exhibits the breakdown of women in executive positions, the highest being at testing labs (53.9 percent), consumption lounges/events (48.1 percent), wholesale cultivators (40.1 percent) and ancillary service providers (39 percent). The lowest percent of women in certain roles includes investors, vertically integrated businesses and ancillary technology or products.

“The low rate of executive positions held by women at cannabis investment firms is worrisome, as access to capital has become a critical component of creating and running a successful marijuana company,” the report states. “While cannabis businesses could be started with only $50,000 five years ago, licensing alone in most markets will run into six figures today. With men accounting for such a large portion of leadership in cannabis investing—and possibly favoring management teams led by other men, whether consciously or unconsciously—female executives could have a tougher time raising money.”

Percentages of minority business owners remain small when viewing data collected from Colorado, Michigan and Nevada, according to this breakdown.

Asian American/Pacific Islander: Four percent in Colorado, 3.8 percent in Michigan and 6.3 percent in Nevada.

Black or African American: 2.7 percent in Colorado, 3.8 percent in Michigan and 5.1 percent in Nevada.

Indigenous: 0.4 percent in Colorado, 0.8 percent in Michigan and 2.5 percent in Nevada.

Latino: 7.7 percent of owners in Colorado, 1.5 in Michigan and 12.8 percent in Nevada.

White/Caucasian: 83.7 percent in Colorado, 79 percent in Michigan and 63 percent in Nevada.

“While the data is limited in scope and might not be an indicator of minority representation in the broader cannabis industry, it provides an accurate snapshot of the level of diversity in these three markets and shows a distinct difference in the effect early focus on diversity can have on building the market,” the report notes about the limited data available.

The number of minority executives has also changed. In 2017, the report shows the percentage of cannabis business led by minority executives at 16.8 percent, with a jump to 28 percent in 2019. As of 2021, that number has since decreased down to 13.1 percent, which is only 0.1 percent of the national average.

MJBizDaily suggests that the strong push for social equity could increase these numbers. “Social equity programs are a critical aspect of new regulated marijuana markets, and several of the first markets are looking for ways to fix this gap,” the report states. “But most programs have fallen short of their goals. Some of the contributors to these hurdles include licensing delays, challenges to how the policies are implemented and a lack of access to capital for economically disadvantaged communities.”

The second portion of the report identifies the challenges that minorities face in the cannabis industry, which includes the high price of entry in application and licensing fees, as well as other startup costs such as real estate, renovations, utilities and security necessities. The median household net worth of Black or African Americans ($24,100), Hispanic or Latino ($36,200), or those of other/multiple races ($74,500) is significantly lower than that of White individuals ($188,200).

The report concludes with the suggestion that two things need to change: access to capital must be increased, and social equity programs need to continue to be established. It recommends support for numerous organizations whose goals are to improve general access and social equity efforts.

The post Report Shows Decreased Percentage of Women and Minority Executives in Cannabis Industry appeared first on High Times.

The post Report Shows Decreased Percentage of Women and Minority Executives in Cannabis Industry appeared first on Paradise Found.

Black Cannabis Week is returning for the second year in a row between September 19-26, 2021. The goal of the event is to provide a variety of educational seminars and services for people of color, and push for improved social equity in the industry. 

“We have long been an integral part of the cannabis industry from labor to creators. These roles have garnered little to no attention or regard,” the Black Cannabis Week website states. “During this week, we will educate, celebrate and elevate Blacks in cannabis. Black Cannabis Week (BCW21) is a collective web of educational and informational experiences to empower Black communities to move toward social and political change. In collective work, we aim to educate, destigmatize and advance the efforts of social justice.”

The event is being held as a collaborative effort along with the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities (DACO), Minorities for Medical Marijuana and Philadelphia Cannabis Business Association, and other cannabis groups. Among the event’s offerings, it will feature a political round table with Pennsylvania Senator Sharif Street, who will speak on new cannabis regulations. An estimated 30 speakers will be present to cover a variety of educational topics, including a hempcrete workshop, free cannabis certifications, expungement services and networking opportunities.

According to Cherron Perry-Thomas, who’s also a DACO Social Impact Strategist and the founder of the Cannabis Opportunities Conference, Black Cannabis Week is dedicated to helping Black cannabis entrepreneurs stake their claim in the industry. 

“Black and Brown communities have been an afterthought in the evolving global cannabis industry,” Perry-Thomas said in a press release. “If we fail to prepare and learn now, we will be too far behind to enter into this emerging field. It’s imperative that we learn the facts about cannabis, the unjust laws that have created the stigma, explore opportunities for empowerment, and reduce the barriers to help more Black and Brown communities switch from consumers to decision makers which is our mission with Black Cannabis Week.”

Although most of the event will be held digitally, those who live in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area can visit Temple University to attend a Communities of Color Career Event and expungement fair in person. 

“The cannabis industry has been on track to grow into a favorable financial and social tool for change,” the Black Cannabis Week Instagram posted on September 7. “Entrepreneurship, jobs, innovation are just a few of the positive impacts resulting from an accessible and inclusive industry. The industry has provided all kinds of new positions, and many of them are high-paying. And as the cannabis industry grows, so, too, does the number of job openings in the field.”

Supporting events such as Black Cannabis Week is essential to cultivate opportunities for non-white cannabis entrepreneurs to participate in the industry. According to a 2017 survey conducted by Marijuana Business Daily, 81 percent of cannabis business owners are white. At the time of the survey, only 5.7 percent were Hispanic/Latino; 4.3 percent were Black, and 2.4 percent were Asian. 

Efforts to improve social equity in the United States continue to grow as well. The Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Agency has launched a new program called the Joint Ventures Pathway Program to improve social equity in the state. Social Equity classes have been established in Arizona for those who are eligible for dispensary licenses. 

Organizations such as the California Cannabis Equity Alliance are demanding that social equity remain a focus as the industry continues to ramp up. These are just a few of the many examples of how advocates are fighting for social equity, but there’s still plenty of progress to be made.

The post Black Cannabis Week Supports and Elevates Black Entrepreneurs appeared first on High Times.

The post Black Cannabis Week Supports and Elevates Black Entrepreneurs appeared first on Paradise Found.