CannabizTeam - Executive Search and Staffing’s Post

"Michael Diaz-Rivera’s experience simultaneously represents the promise and failure of social equity licenses for the cannabis industry. Diaz-Rivera’s conviction in 2006 for marijuana possession made him eligible when Colorado agreed in 2020 to set aside licenses for members of historically marginalized communities disproportionately impacted by drug laws. Denver’s zoning ordinances, however, limited the locations where brick-and-mortar dispensaries could open. Even with seed money from the city, Diaz-Rivera couldn’t arrange financing and was priced out of the market. Frustrated by the hurdles, he’s trying to survive with his #marijuanadelivery business, Better Days Delivery. “I came from the legacy market and gave it all up to be legit,” he said. #Recreational #marijuana is now legal in half the states, and many have turned to social equity licenses to help diversify an expanding but overwhelming White industry worth nearly $29 billion last year, according to a report from Colorado-based marijuana staffing company Vangst and analytics firm WHITNEY ECONOMICS, LLC. But the rollouts have been flawed, sparking criticism and legal challenges. Beyond facing restrictive zoning laws, the typically cash-strapped newcomers have had to struggle with limited access to #banking services, in part because the federal government hasn’t recognized legal marijuana. They’ve also seen shadow investors use straw applicants to snatch up the licenses. For cannabis reform advocates and industry entrepreneurs, the disappointing early results take deeper resonance amid the ongoing backlash against workplace diversity, inclusion, and equity efforts. “It’s like you’re swimming upstream,” said Ernest Toney, founder and CEO at BIPOCann, a Denver-based firm launched in 2020 to offer consulting services to social equity applicants and licensees. Minnesota, which passed legislation this spring that more sharply defines criteria for awarding social equity licenses and governing the program fairly, could set a new benchmark, hopeful observers say. “This industry is led by local entrepreneurs, so I think the expectations of what’s possible here have been different,” said Leili Fatehi, a partner at Minnesota-based cannabis consulting firm Blunt Strategies. At the same time, other states are battling claims of missteps that critics say have undermined the intent of social equity licensing programs. Arizona lawmakers earlier this year considered more changes after reports that outside investors now own or control almost all of the original 26 #socialequity licenses granted to diverse applicants from the state. “They’ve all been gobbled up,” said Jimmy Cool, an Arizona-based attorney at FRAZER, RYAN, GOLDBERG & ARNOLD LLP who represented the Greater Phoenix Urban League and social equity company Acre 41 in an unsuccessful suit asserting state mismanagement of the program." - Bloomberg

#inthenews Great article on the steps taken during the consideration stage of cannabis legalization. Increasing your sales tax revenue and encouraging your resident's to spend inside the community is our goal. "Regardless of what direction you want to go, we support your City's decision-making process with information; We remain agnostic regarding cannabis legalization," said HdL's Mark Lovelace. 👩🏫 Start with education. 🤝 Then public outreach and engagement. ⚖ Then develop regulations. Simplify the process with experts! 📧 solutions@hdlcompanies.com Learn more... 🔗 https://lnkd.in/g9iVfKQn #cannabistax #revenuemanagement #localgov

Critics argue that Arizona's social equity program in the cannabis industry has largely failed. The program aimed to provide opportunities for those disproportionately affected by prior drug laws, but it seems to have missed its mark. Despite the intention to set a precedent for social equity, only a few license holders, such as Alicia Deals, managed to maintain ownership without selling to larger corporate entities. The majority of the social equity licenses ended up in the hands of big corporations, contradicting the program's goal to empower smaller, community-focused businesses. This situation underscores persistent issues within the state's approach to cannabis regulation and social equity. https://lnkd.in/diM6Uyd2

Why is it a constant FIGHT for women of color to acquire and maintain positions of leadership in the corporate cannabis industry? A similar question was asked me by a doctoral candidate recently, and I gave her the most honest answer I could based on my own personal experiences: The corporate cannabis industry is so full of rules, corruption, gatekeeping, and politics that most of us simply don't want any part in it. And those of us who do enter into the corporate cannabis space quickly learn that; It is no longer about the plant🌱or the people, but profits📈. And once you're in the corporate cannabis industry, you a play a constant game of tug of war between being a Cannabis Community Crusader🌱💪🏿 and being a Corporate Cannabis Cog ⚙️ Which is why you see so many "Cannabis Consultants" of color and and not Budtenders. We would rather do our own thing than be re-shackled by the restraints of a corporate cannabis system. We have been successfully growing, utilizing, and selling cannabis for hundreds of years without the man😂 And it's high time that more people of color were OWNERS of cannabis businesses 💪🏿🌱🖤

𝟖𝟎% 𝐨𝐟 𝐆𝐞𝐧 𝐙 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐊 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐛𝐞 𝐥𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐥💡 Gen Z is people aged between 12-27. With a general election coming up, that’s a big chunk of our young voters who want change. Labour made a move in 2001, they downgraded Cannabis from a Class B to Class C substance. If Labour get back into a majority at the end of the year, what does this mean for the pace of Cannabis Reform? Will they make another move? Surely common sense and the need for younger voters is going to converge at some point, with one party creating a manifesto that includes steps towards opening up the cannabis industry, which already exists in the UK and is estimated to be worth £6.1 billion. Check out this article from my friends at leafie for a more thorough assessment ⬇️ I'd love to hear your thoughts, what do you think will happen? CC: Kevin Dinneen Liam O'Dowd Sign up to my newsletter for more like this: www.highanddry.live #cannabis #cannabisreform #labour #generalelection :::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: My name is Daniel Rowntree and I am on a mission to change the way the world thinks about living a High and Dry Life. I have created a community - High & Dry, to help people change their relationship with alcohol while having a clear understanding of other mood-altering substances, from adaptogens and nootropics to cannabis and psychedelics.

Circling back to this worthwhile review by Kimberly Redmond and NJBIZ about progress and challenges in NJ cannabis. Forward. #NJcannabis #NJSBAcannabislawcommittee https://lnkd.in/ePgVQUn8

Justice For Corvain 💪🏾✊🏿 As the stigma and status of cannabis shifts, we have a generational opportunity to disrupt the harms of racism by using the legal cannabis industry as a model for healing and equity. Regulating the cannabis industry is not enough; to end the drug war once and for all, we need to redress the harms it created and reverse its impacts permanently. The Hood Incubator, Amplifier and Cookies are collaborating to build a movement for cannabis justice that leverages the regulated cannabis industry to reverse the harmful impacts of the drug war and create a world where every person can generate health, wealth, power, and prosperity for their families and communities. By ensuring that people harmed by the drug war can benefit from the cannabis industry and organizing them around a political agenda for justice, the Hood Incubator activates our community in the fight for Black liberation. "For the Cannabis Justice campaign, we wanted to show the inequality that is prevalent within the topic of cannabis legalization. Our experiences are not universal simply because they are our own, and I hope through these images some light is shed on those that are unjustly affected by and forgotten when public opinion changes on a subject like cannabis and its role in society." - Thomas Wimberly For more information on Corvain Cooper visit his instagram @corvaincooper, and new Cannabis brand @40tonsbrand, a social-impact for-profit premium Cannabis brand dedicated to freeing prisoners affected by unjust weed laws. No one should spend a lifetime in prison for a plant that many consume & profit from legally. It will not stand! #FreeCorvainCooper Artist Credit: Thomas Wimberly Source: Amplifier

A course-correction on cannabis equity: the moment is now. The legislative review of the Cannabis Act is a crucial opportunity to move toward cannabis policies that advance racial justice and social equity. Read more from Nazlee Maghsoudi, Tahira R. and I here. Thanks to the good people at Policy Options and the Institute for Research on Public Policy (IRPP).

It’s obvious to those in the know; cannabis industry advocates must start making noise again in government – at all levels. NCIA CEO Aaron Smith made great points in a recent piece over at Marijuana Moment - namely, that the industry must re-focus on federal lobbying despite its recent misfortunes. He's right - but we can't forget states, either. Here's why: 1) Home Rule - Props up the illegal market. Advocates must focus on flipping these holdout jurisdictions. 2) Taxes and Regs - Stifle aspiring entrepreneurs. We have to streamline state laws to make it easier for folks to start and keep a business. 3) License Caps - Arbitrary limits on businesses end up allowing only the big operators w/ capital and connections to dominate. 4) Social Equity and Enforcement - Social equity needs to work. At the same time, we must have an enforcement based incentive for legacy operators to join the above-aboard market. 5) Medical Programs - We need to flip medical states to adult use by demonstrating to lawmakers and citizens that these programs are effective and safe. Read more at my Substack: https://lnkd.in/gEHawvzh