As is typical of most entrepreneurs, I like to think that I am responsible for my success. Entrepreneurs do work very hard, and some are talented enough (and lucky enough) to become successful.
Still, white entrepreneurs, especially those of us in the cannabis industry, must also acknowledge that we have benefitted from the business version of white privilege. The reality is that we have built our businesses on the backs of people of color, deliberately targeted and negatively impacted by the “war on drugs” and the criminalization of cannabis. That is why, if we are going to provide more than lip service to the issue, “inclusion” and “diversity” must be more than buzzwords. Creating a more equitable industry cannot be a feel-good concept; it must be viewed as a raison d’être that requires real action.
Legalization opens up possibilities for equality
The ugly legacy of racism in cannabis enforcement lives on. According to the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), more than 40,000 individuals, disproportionately people of color, are still serving prison sentences for the very activities that are currently building wealth for so many in the industry. Focused on criminal justice reform, LPP is working for prisoners’ release, the removal of cannabis crimes from personal records, and programs for these individuals to make a successful reentry into society. It is an essential and necessary effort and one that we at Wana Brands have offered our full support.
The work of groups like the LPP is a critical piece of righting the wrongs of the past. And beyond their essential work, the legalization of cannabis provides a unique opportunity in American history: The chance to create an industry from the ground up with inclusion and social justice in mind along with concrete steps to reduce discriminatory practices.
To realize that opportunity, people of color must experience the same benefits from legalization as their white peers. This means increasing diversity in hiring, providing educational opportunities, and eliminating barriers to entering the industry, such as limited access to capital and connections within the business community. To take it a step further, we have to actively recognize and push back on the systemic racism that permeates all aspects of the business both inside and outside the cannabis industry.
How can we do that? How can we really get through the layers of systemic racism that have been built up in business practices, both inside and outside of cannabis, over hundreds of years?
For starters, white business leaders often assume that they know what is needed to help people of color enter the industry. And even worse, sometimes social equity programs are manipulated to create the appearance of creating opportunity while not genuinely offering a mechanism to create wealth and ownership. Let’s begin by laying down our assumptions and listening to aspiring Black cannabis entrepreneurs to understand how they see and define their needs.
In a recent conversation I had with BlackCannaBusiness founder Kristi Price, I learned that Black entrepreneurs frequently struggle with collective PTSD because cannabis is most closely associated with the criminal justice system and legal issues. These entrepreneurs often have friends or family members convicted and incarcerated for nonviolent, low-level drug charges resulting…
Credit:Source link