The new “Seeds of Change” report assesses states on cannabis justice, finding that it is the most lacking
A new report released today – Seeds of Change: Strategies to Create an Equitable Cannabis Industry – finds that the majority of states that allow legal adult use do not have the laws and guidelines in place to create a fair one and equitable cannabis industry are needed.
Seeds of Change is a multi-faceted exploration of the cannabis industry and social justice. The report introduces the Leafly Equity Score, which measures individual states’ progress in implementing the guidelines that create a truly equitable industry.
The 2021 report found that Colorado and California are leading the nation in implementing equity measures in their state cannabis industries. Closely followed by Illinois and New York. At the bottom of the list were Alaska, Maine, Montana, and South Dakota, all of which lacked the most basic equity measures such as automatic parole and equity program licensing.
You can find the full report here.
Black cannabis possession is below the national average
Although blacks make up 14% of our country’s population, Leafly’s research has shown that they only own 2% of the cannabis companies. This discrepancy is particularly blatant given data tracking black ownership across all industries across the country. Approximately 1 in 20 black Americans own shares in any industry, while only 1 in 50 cannabis companies are black-owned.
Numbers like this inspired Leafly to grapple with the barriers that discourage owning cannabis companies even before colored entrepreneurs fill out a state license application.
These barriers include the American criminal justice system, the systemic denial of economic opportunity, and inadequate access to health care.
Eight Social Justice Strategies for Cannabis Legalization
Continuing Leafly’s industry-leading research in the 2021 Jobs Report, Seeds of Change digs deep into the barriers to equity in the cannabis industry and identifies eight strategies policymakers can implement to help their states achieve greater cannabis justice.
The strategies were designed after a thorough study of the cannabis stock landscape and supported by national statistics and industry reports. They include:
- Mandatory automatic deletion of cannabis records
- Creation of fair cannabis licensing systems
- Protecting the rights and access of medical patients
- Allow self-cultivation and regulate sensibly
- Using cannabis tax revenue for healing, not harm
- Collecting robust data and disseminating it widely
- Reduce stigma through proactive programs
- Supporting career development opportunities for cannabis
Evaluation of states according to social justice
The Leafly Equity Score takes a closer look at how states are achieving the social justice of cannabis. We examined what 18 states and Washington, DC, are doing to achieve justice and how effective it is for their communities, weighted by the impact of each strategy on disenfranchised Americans.
Connecticut, which officially legalized cannabis for all adults earlier this week, passed its law too late to be included in this year’s Seeds of Change report.
Keeping up with cannabis legalization
As states continue to legalize cannabis, justice needs to be embedded in the fabric of legalization laws and guidelines at the state and federal levels.
As policymakers debate what is right for their state, real people are in jail, facing unfair job and educational barriers, and suffering thousands of potential negative consequences from laws and policies that can stay in place even after legalization.
Seeds of Change was created to spark conversation and help the cannabis industry bring transformative justice to those who need it most.
Janessa Bailey
Janessa was born and raised in the Midwest and is currently the arts editor for Leafly. She has a background in content, activism, and African American studies.
View article by Janessa Bailey
By submitting this form, you subscribe to Leafly news and promotional emails and agree to Leafly’s Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages at any time.
Post a comment: