4 Hispanic Marijuana Entrepreneurs Who Are Making The Cannabis Industry A Better Place

A quick look at the statistics of Hispanics in the cannabis industry will reveal that this group has the lowest numbers in the industry. The group is stigmatized while its degree of representation is low.

Since several cannabis industries began in legalized states, the few Hispanic entrepreneurs within the industry have thought about how more Hispanics could enter the industry.

Who are the Hispanics?

The American government classifies around 62 million people with different identities as Latinos or Latinx. These individuals have different cultures and are originally from different geographic locations.

Ever since this classification emerged, many people have had strong feelings about it and also wondered about the thought process that was going through to decide that people with different identities, stories, and even experiences can be identified under a single roof.

Hispanics in the cannabis industry

Four Hispanics were recently interviewed to learn how a path can be paved for Hispanics in the cannabis industry. The interviewees identify as Colombians, Mexicans and Apache (Arizona, Oklahoma, New Mexico and Texas). Their names are Richard Acosta, Mark Flores, Manuela Sanin and Roseanne Valencia-Fernandez.

An underrepresented group

Hispanics are very few in the industry, but they are the most influential in the industry. From leadership to products to marketing, they have written their name in gold. The stories of the influence of this group went untold for a long time.

Richard Acosta said there was a need to speak about the negative impact the failed drug war had on generations of Hispanics living in America. He added that many of them are reaping the benefits of their sacrifices as professionals in the industry.

Manuela Sanin agreed with Acosta, adding that Hispanics have a chance to face the anti-Hispanic sentiment that has influenced the cannabis ban for the last century. She said the group must come together to support a movement that would end prohibition in the country while fighting for justice for the injustices committed against them in the industry.

Entry into the cannabis industry

Mark Flores is Director of Brand Engagement at Receptor Brands. He explains why he first got into the industry and explains that he always had the feeling that he was part of it. He moved into the legal sector when Illinois launched its medical marijuana program.

Flores said he worked in policy advice and the nonprofit industry for a number of years, then moved into the beer industry before finally moving into the cannabis industry.

He first saw the legal cannabis industry when he won a major MSO pitch at a small activation agency.

On the flip side, Acosta said growing up in Southern California influenced his decision to get into the cannabis industry. He added that he was always attentive to the demand, benefits, and criminal law issues surrounding cannabis. Leaping into the industry felt like his life’s work and he had the opportunity to contribute to the development of the industry.

Mr. Acosta is Co-President of GreenTech Properties and also serves as the CIO of the Real Estate Investment Trust. His background in the casino, real estate investment, and hotel industries has immensely enhanced his skills in the cannabis industry.

Dealing with the stigma that comes with working in the cannabis industry

There is a long history of the stigma associated with Hispanics in the industry. From the time more than a million Mexicans immigrated to the United States of America in the early 20th century to this moment.

The media has paid more attention to the negative stories about Hispanics in the industry than the positive ones. This has increased the stigma associated with these workers and entrepreneurs.

If more positive stories can be written about Hispanics in the industry, the narrative could change in a few years.

The stigma can be found in every niche in the industry today, but these four people say that having an honest conversation with their family and friends helped them overcome the stigma.

Sanin, the co-founder of a Los Angeles-based cannabis confectionery company called Cloud 11, says meeting her parents made all the difference. She admitted she was struggling to explain that leaving the hospitality industry to work in the cannabis industry was the right step for her career.

She said her family finally understood that the low-dose foods made at Cloud 11 are a high-end product that uses art in its manufacture and packaging. It was different from what she did in the hospitality industry. She added that her mother showed an interest in the creation process and she taught cannabis 101 to her mother and some family members and friends. She also said that focusing on the plant’s therapeutic benefits helped her parents understand more.

Flores says he learned more about the stigma associated with selling cannabis at family gatherings. He jokingly added that being the favorite nephew of his family helped him soften up.

Reaching the Hispanic population

Very little is being done to reach the Hispanic population through brands of cannabis. Valencia Fernandez said this was one of the reasons the number of Latino consumers was next to nonexistent.

Valencia is currently Vice President of Marketing at TILT Holdings. She used to work at L’Oreal. During her time there, she led an initiative that worked with leading Latino TV channels and magazines to promote the brand’s products in English and Spanish. The initiative was a success.

She went on to say that earlier American cannabis brands recognize that Hispanic Americans are not part of any culture, the sooner the industry will see an increase in Hispanic cannabis users. The Hispanic market is still largely untapped, and the only way to break into this niche is by telling individual stories of the various cultures embedded in it.

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