Washington D.C. Will Be Giving Preferential Medical Marijuana Permits To Minority-Owned Businesses
Washington D.C. Will Be Giving Preferential Medical Marijuana Permits To Minority-Owned Businesses
The mandate looks to protect and encourage black weed businesspeople.
Blavity Team
under a min
• a day ago
As the marijuana industry becomes legalized in additional states, the racial disparity discussion surrounding the end of prohibition only seems to become more prominent.
It’s quite apparent that the very thing that has African Americans chained within the mass incarceration system is now deemed as profitable. Lawmakers in states such as Maryland have already begun a push for more black faces within the medical marijuana industry.
Now it seems that the D.C. Council is joining these efforts.
According to The Washington Times, the council passed an emergency law late last month requiring minority-owned companies and small businesses to have preferential access to medical marijuana dispensary permits. The mandate hopes to help minority and small business owners bypass economic disadvantage, according to council member Robert White.
“I knew that this would be a high-growth industry in the District, and I’ve had concerns from the beginning that there would not be enough opportunities for African Americans and local businesses,” said White. “I wanted to be sure that we carved out space as we pursue this new industry.”
“We have locked up so many black people for marijuana, and I see it as incredibly hypocritical for those folks to return from prison on marijuana charges just to come back to a place that has now legalized and industrialized it, and they can’t play any role,” White added.
There are eight cultivation centers and five dispensaries in the D.C. area, with only one cultivator being black. D.C. has shown itself to be committed to anti-racial disparity efforts. Another measure passed that made it so felons convicted of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana are no longer prohibited from entering the medical marijuana industry.
The district’s legislation mirrors that of other states taking steps to give preferential treatment to minority marijuana entrepreneurs such as Illinois, Pennsylvania and Florida.
The city of Oakland, CA has already went on and officially set aside half of its cannabis business permits dedicated to people who have been arrested for drug crimes within the city or who come from neighborhoods riddled with drug arrests.
In a booming industry such as medical marijuana, this is definitely a step in the right direction for minority and small business owners!
Washington D.C. Will Be Giving Preferential Medical Marijuana Permits To Minority-Owned Businesses
The mandate looks to protect and encourage black weed businesspeople.
Blavity Team
under a min
• a day ago
As the marijuana industry becomes legalized in additional states, the racial disparity discussion surrounding the end of prohibition only seems to become more prominent.
It’s quite apparent that the very thing that has African Americans chained within the mass incarceration system is now deemed as profitable. Lawmakers in states such as Maryland have already begun a push for more black faces within the medical marijuana industry.
Now it seems that the D.C. Council is joining these efforts.
According to The Washington Times, the council passed an emergency law late last month requiring minority-owned companies and small businesses to have preferential access to medical marijuana dispensary permits. The mandate hopes to help minority and small business owners bypass economic disadvantage, according to council member Robert White.
“I knew that this would be a high-growth industry in the District, and I’ve had concerns from the beginning that there would not be enough opportunities for African Americans and local businesses,” said White. “I wanted to be sure that we carved out space as we pursue this new industry.”
“We have locked up so many black people for marijuana, and I see it as incredibly hypocritical for those folks to return from prison on marijuana charges just to come back to a place that has now legalized and industrialized it, and they can’t play any role,” White added.
There are eight cultivation centers and five dispensaries in the D.C. area, with only one cultivator being black. D.C. has shown itself to be committed to anti-racial disparity efforts. Another measure passed that made it so felons convicted of possession with the intent to distribute marijuana are no longer prohibited from entering the medical marijuana industry.
The district’s legislation mirrors that of other states taking steps to give preferential treatment to minority marijuana entrepreneurs such as Illinois, Pennsylvania and Florida.
The city of Oakland, CA has already went on and officially set aside half of its cannabis business permits dedicated to people who have been arrested for drug crimes within the city or who come from neighborhoods riddled with drug arrests.
In a booming industry such as medical marijuana, this is definitely a step in the right direction for minority and small business owners!
