Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Who's Hello, Hello, and welcome to Just Say No, the
show where we spotlight cannabis innovators, game changing products, and
the visionaries driving the legal cannabis movement. I'm your host,
Maria calabre Is, broadcasting on KCAA Radio ten fifty AM
(00:21):
one O six point five FM, the station that leaves
no listener behind. Today, I would like to close out
Black History Month by discussing a topic that is both
as urgent as it is long overdue, social equity in
the cannabis industry. As we celebrate Black History Month, we
are called to confront some difficult truths. While the cannabis
(00:43):
industry is thriving, the communities that have suffered the most
from prohibition continue to be largely excluded from its opportunities.
The War on drugs disproportionately targeted black and brown communities,
tearing apart families and filling prisons with non viol and offenders. Now,
is legalization sweeps the country, those same communities are being
(01:07):
left behind. This isn't just a cannabis This isn't just
a cannabis issue. It's a civil rights issue, an economic
justice issue, and a test of our commitment to fairness.
Why should we care. Well, let's let's have a listen
to some folks who are anxious to let us know.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Sounds like there's privilege of racism involved in the marijuana industry.
I'm still waiting on my acres in the mule right now,
and I'm gonna putduves on my mule.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
People who've been harmed by the War on drugs in particular,
that they want essentially those forty acres in that mule
as well in this new buddying industry.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
What you really need to do is go back in
the thirties the African Americans.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
They shouldn't They were basically users.
Speaker 6 (01:51):
And they are basically responded the worst of those drugs
just because their character.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
They can them.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, their rapists.
Speaker 7 (02:05):
There's still a lot of people incarcerated, there's still a
lot of people that need help.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
My company, as we're going public with set aside twenty
million dollars to Hocal.
Speaker 8 (02:15):
Equity Movement Supernovle Women as an organization that sets forth
to help women of color become stakeholders in the cannabis space.
Speaker 9 (02:24):
It's important for us again to be a part of
the dialog, but it's also incumbent upon us. To be
social equity, we have to also be a part of
the change. Some people get really scared when they see
my crew come into the kitchen.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
The injustice doesn't just harm fledgling black entrepreneurs, it weakens
the industry as a whole. A cannabis market without equity
is one that repeats the sins of the past, where
profit is prioritized over people and power is concentrated in
the hands of the few. The truly inclusive industry benefits
everyone me, you, consumers, businesses, your society as a whole. Today,
(03:12):
we're going to hear from a few of the trailblazers
I've had the pleasure of meeting over the years, including
social equity operators, scientists, and attorneys who work with la
city and county governments, each doing their part to try
to break down barriers in the legalized cannabis market. We'll
explore the history of prohibition, the failures of current equity programs,
(03:36):
and what must be done to right these wrongs, not
just in theory but in practice. So, whether you're a
cannabis connoisseur you think push is just the fancy pillow,
this conversation affects you. By the end of the show,
I promise you're going to walk away with a deeper
understanding of how equity in cannabis connects to justice in
(03:56):
America and what you can do to be part of
the solution. So stay tuned because we're about to challenge
outdated narratives, uplift powerful voices, and push for the change
the industry this country you desperately deserve. Come on, let's
get smarter with some of the brightest minds in the industry.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
By twenty twenty, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch estimate
that will grow to thirty five billion dollars, and many
experts believe it could eventually reach two hundred billion dollars
each and every year.
Speaker 7 (04:39):
Stop. I can see so much young your.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I'm a betify who is going to be gone.
Speaker 7 (05:07):
Taking me a while to get it.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Had to live and cry to appreciate your life and
what you give his words.
Speaker 10 (05:15):
When you're holding me, when you hold me so close,
someone further and under your skin.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I want to leave the mix so that I can
be sure that you remember wise man, welcome back. Before
we dive into today's conversation, it's important to understand why
social equity and cannabis isn't just a buzzword, why it's
a necessity. Legalization in and of itself, it does not
(05:44):
guarantee diversity, access or inclusion into the industry. Without intentional policies,
the same communities that have been harmed the most by
prohibition will continue to be left behind. To truly grasp
the inequities in cannabis today, we have to look back
at how prohibition was built on a foundation of racism
(06:05):
and fear mongering. So I want to throw to a
GBLTV quick kit. For more quick kits, you can tune
into greenbeylife dot com. Let's see what we've got here.
Speaker 11 (06:26):
Look up Harry Anslinger nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act
and really understand what.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
The rationale was behind the prohibition.
Speaker 11 (06:38):
Really understand that prior to the nineteen thirty seven Marijuana
Tax Act, marijuana was used.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
It dates back to the Bible. It was used as
an anti inflammatory for pain relief for the pain associated
with the childbirths. So understand the history, and then you
have to read if you.
Speaker 11 (06:58):
Only read one thing about it, Jack Herrer's The Emperor
Wears no clothes.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Many people will tell you that that's what changed thirty
is the misinformation campaign was started in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
America's public enemy Number one is drug abuse.
Speaker 7 (07:15):
Just say no, an unwinnable war fueled by lives fought
against the counterculture and married to racism. But the times
they are changing. Recreational marijuana now legal in New York.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I think this plant is finally going to get its day.
I think this plan is finally going to get its day,
and hopefully the people who brought it to America will
So you know, Cannabis wasn't always criminalized. In the eighteen hundreds,
(07:49):
it was widely used for medicinal and industrial purposes. But
in the early nineteen hundreds a shift occurred, one driven
by xenophobia and racial propaganda. Mexican immigrants fleeing political and
economic turmoil, brought the cultural practice of smoking marijuana to
the United States. Instead of embracing this new use and
(08:13):
plant and crop, politicians and media figures, most notably Harry Anslinger,
seized the moment to demonize both the plant and the
people associated with it. Anslinger, the architect of the nineteen
thirty seven Marijuana Tacks Act, pushed the unfounded idea that
(08:34):
cannabis led to violence and insanity, especially among black and
Latino communities. He tied cannabis use to jazz culture, claiming
it made black musicians forget their place and fueled mural corruption.
By using the Spanish term in marijuana instead of cannabis,
(08:59):
he ensured that the drug and the fear surrounding it
was associated with Mexican immigrants. The result a wave of
discriminatory policies and disproportionate enforcement. By nineteen thirty eight, just
one year after the Marijuana Tax Act was passed, just
one year, black Americans were already three times three times
(09:22):
more likely to be arrested for narcotic drug violations than
their white counterparts, and Mexican Americans nearly nine times more likely,
nine times more likely. Fast forward to the nineteen seventies
and President Nixon. He doubled down on this racially charged war.
The Controlled Substances Act of nineteen seventy classified cannabis as
(09:45):
a Schedule one drug alongside heroin, effectively criminalizing millions more
you know. Nixon's own advisors later admitted that the war
on drugs was a political weapon used to target black
communities and anti war activist, making it a felony. If
(10:08):
you become a fealon, you can't vote. So the nineteen
eighties brought Reagan's War on drugs, which escalate a mass incarceration,
further devastating communities of color. Harsh sentencing laws and mandatory
minimums ensued that black and Latino individuals face disproportionately severe
(10:31):
penalties for nonviolent drug offenses. Even today, despite similar usage
rates across racial groups, black individuals are still nearly four
times four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis
possession than white individuals. Now, as legalization sweeps across the country,
(10:52):
a multi billion dollar industry is emerging. But who is
profiting and who is still paying the price? While to
help us unpack these questions, I was honored to catch
up with Yvet McDowell at a National Cannabis Industry Trade
Association summit held in West Hollywood just a few months ago.
Yvat is a seasoned attorney, a class act a consultant,
(11:15):
and a fierce advocate for social equity and cannabis. She
has a background in law enforcement and public service and
now works to try to ensure fair access and justice
for those harmed most by the War on drugs. Through
her firm vat McDowell Consulting, she helps shape policy and
(11:36):
empower communities to thrive in this emerging legal cannabis space,
consulting LA city and county governments. So I wanted to
share a little bit of my conversation with her.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
Here we go. Most people are familiar with the War
on drugs. That's how social equity came about. What statistics
have shown that's collected by the Department of Justice shows
that there was a disproportionate number or communities of arrest
for cannabis possession or cannabis use that impacted African American
(12:14):
and Latinos more than anyone else, even though the rate
of use amongst whites was about the same. But when
you look at the arrest statistics, an entirely different thing.
What those arrests did, it really made it difficult for
people to be able to take advantage of things, for example,
(12:35):
housing benefits. You have an arrest record, it's gonna go
against you.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
You can't even vote, that's.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
Right, you can't vote, I mean housing, social security benefits.
There are so many things that you are now disproportionately
impacted on And as a result of that, there was
legislation passed by Senator Stephen Bradford out of the Guardina
I believe that's where he's from, and he introduced what's
(13:07):
called the Social Equity Bill. What that does It allows
for the state to infuse certain amounts of money to
help those who were convicted of convictions to remove some
of the barriers to entry to enter the cannabis industry.
And the barriers are high, very difficult to get in
(13:29):
this space. But if you have been convicted many times,
that would have held you back. So giving somebody a
foot up to enter an industry that is a multi
billion dollar industry to take part in that, why wouldn't
you give people that even help build the industry, give
(13:50):
them an opportunity to come in, to be able to
build some legacy and hopefully pass it down to their family.
So that was introduction of social equity and that made.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yes the theory in reality, in real what upp what.
Speaker 7 (14:12):
Upp There are lots of problems with social equity. You know,
when we talk about giving monies to set people up
in the shop, many social equity applicants don't have the
business acumen coming in and as such, you said you
were going to provide tool state, So where are the tools?
(14:36):
You said you were going to give monies in order
to help. Where is the money going? Where has it gone?
And I'll give you an example of that. For example,
Social Equity was given fifteen million dollars by the state,
and when I look at what enforcement dollars went out,
it was somewhere around one hundred and sixty million dollars.
(14:59):
Youth program I'm all for youth. I worked in youth programs.
They were giving youth programs sixty to eighty million dollars.
I said, would you give a revenue generating industry social
equity operators fifteen million? I said, what is enforcement doing
(15:20):
to generate revenue? What are the youth programs doing to
generate revenue? Social equities generating revenue?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's backwards, it's backwards. And what's really maddening is those
enforcement dollars. I don't think they're enforcing. I mean that's
what I hear enforced everywhere. There's four at least four
I see elicit dispensaries to everyone legal one walking down
(15:53):
a everywhere. Where are the enforcement dollars going?
Speaker 7 (15:59):
I don't know, but I know they're not going to
social equity, that's for sure. Why do we still have
so many illicit shops and a lot of them advertise
you go by see the green Cross we mass even
they advertise. So I don't understand why enforcement is not
(16:19):
happening when they're making themselves so readily available for you
law enforcement.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
And the consequences on this, guys is it's just not
it's not profitable. It doesn't lift up communities, it doesn't.
It has a counter effect.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Yeah, so something that was supposed to be good, it's failing.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
It's failing.
Speaker 7 (16:49):
Yeah, the state, in my opinion, has failed with social equity.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Now that's in California. Are there any states that got
it right?
Speaker 7 (16:59):
I can't think of Vinny.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I know, I know I can't either.
Speaker 7 (17:04):
California leads the way. But if California's leading the way,
then I'm sorry, everyone's gonna fail.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Sheep off a cliff. So we gotta wake up people
because you know, how bad does it have to get?
I mean, but today's that was one of the topics
of today's discussion that you moderate it with a very
very lively panel, and one of just one of the
many perks of being a member of the NCIA is
(17:37):
these subject matter experts. It's a place for these great
minds to come together and talk about conversations. Cannabis is prohibition.
Its origins were based in racism, going back to the
nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act. Yes, and then you
go through the seventies with Nixon and then the failed
(18:00):
War on drugs, which a lot of people don't understand,
but you've got to get this, guys. It was a
war in human rights and on science. Yes, and this
is a madison plant that can help a lot of people,
and it can help the economy. But what were some
of the other takeaways from the Lively panel you moderated today.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
You know, one of the biggest things, I think the
regulators are really faced with a difficult problem because they
are at the whim of the city Council's the board
of supervisors to do what needs to be done. Money.
They need money to run these programs and they're not
getting the money that they need. And as I share
(18:45):
with my clients, you have to have money to put
these programs together, because if you don't have the money
to put the right technical assistance in place, you're going
to be setting people up for failure for sure, people
coming in who really don't have a grasp and the
business acumen of what to do. How are they supposed
(19:08):
to get this stuff? If you're not going to provide
technical assistance to really help them. And you say you
want to help remove barriers, come on, then help remove
them and give money to the programs that need it exactly.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
And this is where everyone out there comes in. We've
got to start with you've got to understand the origins
of the prohibition. Yes, it's god to understand the inequity
and the failed war on drugs. Yes, you've got to
understand what's at stake here.
Speaker 7 (19:45):
That's right, that's right. You have to understand it, and
that requires education.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
It requires education. And the reason you need to understand
it is because we need your voice. Yes, and you
spoke about that. Can you speak a little bit about that?
Speaker 7 (19:59):
Because I've been involved with NCIA for a lot of years,
and I had the privilege to go to the capital
and lobby for four years. And I'll tell you when
you walk into those offices of some of the legislators
and you talk with their staff, because most times you're
(20:20):
meeting with staff you're not meeting with senators or from
members from the House.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
But if they're constituents, if they're we're rattling their cages exactly.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
That's why I say all politics is local, and you
have to start on the local level. Get to know
your political pundits I'll call them, for lack of better words.
Get to know who they are, get to know what
their concerns are, what interests them, and you really start
(20:54):
having the conversation on cannabis on a local level. Because
they don't just elevate to the state or to the
federal government just by a ballot. They don't do that.
You have to get to know them first here and
then follow them as they elevate. And as you do that,
you provided education to them, so they now can take
(21:18):
a look at the taxes, how much in taxes are
being collected, Where are those taxes going?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And then you said there's no money for the social
aquity or the illeagues. But I heard in California, right
there's a potential in July it'll be a forty percent tax.
Speaker 7 (21:36):
That's what I was told. I'm not an operator, but
from operators that I do talk to and deal with,
they are hurting and businesses are shutting down every.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Day, businesses who are trying to do it legally. Yes,
they're not surviving legalization, that's right, and that leaves the
consumer vunerable to the very dangers that these tax dollars
are supposed to be going to agencies to protect those
That's wrong. And it's not marijuana. It's bad now, it's unregulated.
Speaker 7 (22:14):
It just che the illicit market thriving is what it does,
and makes no sense from where I said. If you
are really, really that concerned about eradicating the illicit market,
then create a halfway for people to come from the
illicit market to enter into the legal space. But you've
got to lower these taxes. I think this is probably
(22:38):
the most highly regulated industry around. The taxes are crazy.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
And not only lower them, but proportion them toward things
that make an investment in in the community and the
people in the future, businesses in the You know, local politics.
But what kills me about doesn't kill me. What fills
(23:05):
my energy buckets about cannabis is it gets us talking
about what you're saying, all politics is local politics. Cannabis
is sparking a conversation that it really goes to everything,
not just the issue of cannabis. Yes, and look what's
going on in the country. It's not just being on
(23:28):
your TikTok no offense. But it's not just going and
complaining or you've got to get involved. You've got to
establish the relationship. You've got to make the relationship on
the local level. Yes, hold the politician's accountable.
Speaker 7 (23:49):
Yes, no one likes being held accountable unfortunately, but it's
the nature of the beast. And I believe this is
where organizations like NCIA comes in to be able to lobby,
to pull people accountable for the tax dollars that they're spending,
where are they going. It gives us that chance to
(24:11):
really educate people, not just from the political spectrum, but
even community wise.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
Because if you don't know what the issues are and
you don't know how they impact you, yes, how are
you going to vote?
Speaker 7 (24:26):
Exactly? You have to stay engaged, you have to stay informed.
And I know as a member for me of NCIA,
it allows me to educate. And once you're educated, you
have a much better understanding of what you are.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Talking about and what you're voting for exactly. Yes, you're
doing it informed, that's right, And especially for business operators.
I mean it was interesting. One of my big key takeaways.
I had a chuckle today when they were saying, one,
you know, people are coming in for the green rush
who are motivated by the morney. They're out of this
(25:06):
business in sixty eight months. It's like see yeah, they're like, yeah,
this is not a green rush, it's a it's a revolution.
It's a green revolution. And I find everybody I meet
more and more it's a their call to it for
our Yes, they understand the impact it can have medically
(25:27):
and justness unimproving their lives.
Speaker 7 (25:31):
We'll let you think about it. The indigenous population use
cannabis medicinally for I mean centuries, centuries.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Wouldn'd be great if Congress got in a big circle
past the piece place.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
I would love to be a part of that table
to see that happen.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I would invest in the stream that comes certain one
of them, yes, kind of balances.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
I'm not going to name names, but that would be
amazing to see those who have been so anti cannabis
but don't know anything about cannabia.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
That's the thing. It's it's they're misinformed. Yes, guys, this
has been it's been in the shadows for eight decades
nineteen thirty seven, marijuana tag sac people were doing it.
There'd be a little plant in the closet with the
light that your mother would say, don'pen air there, but
she'd go in there when you were sick as a kiddy.
(26:26):
What's in there? This has been in the shadows. The
only information we have is misinformation. Isn't everything old is
new again? Doesn't it sound a lot like what's happening now? Yes,
you can't be basing your decisions off of well you can,
but you're not. It's not gonna benefit anyone to come
up basing your your opinions based on propaganda and misinformation.
(26:52):
And you know the war on drugs, Just say no
and no. But my radio show is just say no
with a K and ow hold on, say no and
o W. You have to know before you jump to
or why yes, And we're not telling you to go
(27:14):
in either direction. And your value systems, your value system,
but do it based on.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
Information informed. Cannabis use, whether you consume or not, that's
on you.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
And how and whether it's responsibly exactly same with alcohol,
exactly the same thing with food, anything anything responsible use.
Speaker 7 (27:39):
We don't want our kids out consuming. No, we do
not want that.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
We know that.
Speaker 7 (27:45):
But how do we educate our kids if we ourselves
are not educated?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
That's right. And and you're not even able to have
an open conversation with.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
Them exactly our kids.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
To meet them where they are exactly and talk to
them about it.
Speaker 11 (28:02):
And with.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
The scheduling, we can remove barriers to research to really
find out what is the impact on brains under twenty
one years old? But we know what the impact of
cigarettes are.
Speaker 7 (28:14):
That's right, that's right. It's quite interesting to me. And
I believe it's Miss ole Miss that has been doing
a study. The government has been paying them for like
thirty years to grow cannabis and study cannabis. I have
yet to see one report come from ole Miss about
(28:35):
cannabis as the impact. I keep asking that question, why
reports you have? Federal government you've paid Old Miss millions
of dollars to grow and study.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Now, this might be a conspiracy theory. I have not
fact checked this, but some people speculate it's because they
did that to come up with evidence of negative effects
and they didn't find any, So not releasing anything now,
(29:09):
isn't that that would be so wasteful to study something
to try to find what's wrong with it. Yeah, I mean,
come on, let's let's let's put opioids under that level
of scrutiny. Yes, you know, yes, but I could talk
to you all day long. So about the National Cannabis
(29:31):
Industry Association. How long have you been a member? Oh?
Speaker 7 (29:35):
My goodness, has it been ten years?
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Okay, so a lot's changed since then.
Speaker 7 (29:40):
A lot has changed a lot.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
And I mean, let's just fantasize and then we could
be realistic.
Speaker 7 (29:49):
But what where?
Speaker 1 (29:50):
What is where do you hope to see the impact
that the National Cannabis Industry Association could make over over
the next decade.
Speaker 7 (30:00):
I would say de scheduling.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Oh, that would be great.
Speaker 7 (30:04):
That is one of the first things that needed to happen.
Safe banking needs to be a priority. Two eighty needs
to be I need complete overhaul in these things. If
we could do those three things, d schedule safe banking
in place, because right now it is still a cash
(30:27):
carry business for the most part. People are still being robbed,
people are being murdered.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Which just reinforces the stigma and the negative stereotypes. Yes,
it just reinforces it. I just raised the child of Dare.
I was horrified. I came to automatically, but honestly, it
was hard to walk up to a dispensary. It's intimidating
with it, or I'm guard the the you know, it's it. Really,
(30:57):
that's what they have to have though, uh uh yeah,
do we have safe banking? Sure?
Speaker 7 (31:02):
Sure banking? And why should cannabis businesses not be allowed
to write off.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
That's two at that she's talking about the cannabis business
is and operator's flower touch and cannot write off their
business expenses. And then with the tax structure and where
is all this money going? They might be in California
at a forty percent tax come July, possibly their margins
(31:31):
are small, and then on top of it, they can't
write it off. So it's almost like they're trying to
squash the industry because how do you survive legalization doing
it safely responsibly.
Speaker 7 (31:43):
You can, you cannot.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
And then as a social person, just someone who gets
a license, they're giving you like happy mail money.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
Yeah, I mean that's what it is.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Here you get a dispensary and here here here's money
that'll get you go set it up and run it.
Speaker 7 (32:02):
Let's see how long it lasts.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, which is such an exciting new frontier where you
could create jobs. And yeah, well this is why we
want to get the word out. We want to talk
to the mainstream, and we want to talk to the
concerned parents. I want to talk to you. I want
to talk to everybody. I don't blame you, you don't
(32:25):
want it so so many feet from your church or
your kid's school, or but why, And let's have a
conversation about that. Let's really understand it, and let's figure
out sensible rules and regulations that will benefit everyone and
lift everyone in communities up, especially the communities that were
(32:46):
I mean on the War on drugs, the communities that
were destroyed.
Speaker 7 (32:51):
Yes, and destroyed is absolutely correct.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
And I you know, let's cannabis industry was supposed to
be a fresh start, an opportunity to repair the harm
caused by the War on drugs, especially in communities of color.
(33:19):
Social equity programs were designed to level the playing field,
given black and brown entrepreneurs a fair shot at success
in this booming or blooming market. But as we take
a closer look, it's clear that many of these efforts
have fallen short. And I mean, you know there's smart
people out there, like you've hat trying to figure it out.
(33:43):
But let's start with Los Angeles. After speaking with her,
I realized and learned so many things. The city has
taken steps to prioritize social equity applicants, ensuring that new
cannabis retail and delivery licenses go to those most affected
bypassed drug policies, at least until this past January twenty
twenty five. They brought in the definition of impacted communities
(34:07):
and expanded opportunities for equity ownership. But as we've seen
these policies, we have to ask are they working, And
we know the answer.
Speaker 7 (34:15):
They're not.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
You know they're not. Twenty twenty two Los Angeles Times
investigation found that equity applicants made up less than eight
percent of all the cannabis license holders statewide, far from
the sweeping change many had hoped for, and in some
cases regulations they've been revised and manipulated in ways that
(34:40):
are benefiting political insiders rather than the communities these program
or these programs were meant to serve, and compared to
other cities, LA's approach has its own unique challenges. It
doesn't have a top down approach all the different it's
a patchwork of inconsistent policies. For example, Long Beach requires
(35:01):
licensed cannabis businesses to ensure forty percent of work hours
go to equity employees, while the state of California offers grants,
fee relief and other resources to support equity at multiple levels. However,
the major roadblock in LA is the share number of
illegal dispensaries and estimated three thousand unlicensed cannabis businesses compared
(35:26):
to just three hundred and seventy three legal dispensaries three
hundred and seventy three, And how many of those three
hundred and seventy three are social equity license holders? You know,
this creates an unfair marketplace where licensed and social equity
businesses will license general licensed businesses and license social equity
(35:50):
businesses struggle to compete against the listed market that doesn't
have to follow the same rules or pay taxes. So
what's the How do we fix the system that, despite
good intentions, it's still failing black and brown entrepreneurs. That's
exactly what our next panel discussion is about. Shortly after
(36:13):
cannabis legalization in California, UCLA's Canna Club yep. UCLA was
one of the first colleges to institute a cana club.
It's a fantastic organization and I encourage everybody to look
into it and support it. They were the first, and
now many cannon clubs are popping up at colleges all
over the country. UCLA's Cannon Club hosted a powerful, powerful
(36:37):
conversation on being Black in Cannabis. It was moderated by
Danielle van Luerberg from Canasafe, and it had an incredible
panel of black entrepreneurs and advocates who shared their personal
journeys navigating an industry but several years later, is still
plagued by the same deep rooted disparities. Included Whitney Baby Whitney,
(37:02):
the visionary behind Josephine and Billie's, one of LA's first
black women owned dispensaries inspired by historic teapads where black
communities used to gather to consume cannabis safely. So if
you haven't been to Josephine Abillies, you have to go.
It's in Los Angeles, Josephine and Billies and be sure
(37:23):
to say hello to Whitney. Also, Bryant Mitchell participated. He's
the founder of Blackstar Farms. It's a cannabis company dedicated
to quality, sustainability, and creating economic opportunities for communities of
color Rica Labonte formerly l ric o' tarvar he joined
and he's a former football player turned media entrepreneur and advocate,
(37:46):
using his platforms to challenge stigma and push for an
inclusive industry. And none other than the wonderful Andrea Drummer,
a celebrated cannabis chef and founder of Elevation VIP. She's
broken barrier in both the culinary and cannabis worlds. Each
of them has first hand experience with the barriers that
(38:07):
I was discussing with the Vet McDowell about, and these
barriers they still exist today, whether it's access to funding,
navigating regulations, or competing against the illegal market. So let's
dive into their conversation and here what still needs to
change and how we may be able to move forward.
(38:36):
I love you.
Speaker 12 (38:38):
And what can I do to be solecily minded?
Speaker 1 (38:41):
What can I be mindful of?
Speaker 8 (38:43):
That's an awesome question.
Speaker 7 (38:44):
That's an awesome question.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
My answer to that just be sensitive to people's feelings
and needs. We've been through a lot as a culture
for hundreds of years. There's lots of pain behind that,
and uh, every time there's been an opportunity, we've had
the swept up from underneath us. MM. So just keep
that in mind to be an ally. If you have
uh any doubt or any question, if I W it
(39:08):
is what it is, what I'm saying or what I'm
doing insensitive insensitive, ask that's it. It's it's not m
it's not there's no rocket science to it. Just ask, right,
don't assume that somebody, oh, yeah, it's not a big deal.
Speaker 12 (39:22):
I would deal with it differently. Just ask bruh like
it's it's it's.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Nothing wrong with being white at all. Prose I I
I promise, but I was. I would say, just get
ninety percent of the issues that we deal with on
the social end of the UH of the circuit are
avoidable just by asking, is what I'm doing uh affecting
you negatively? Is it okay for me to do this?
(39:48):
It's okay for me to say this. I let my
white friends know that, and it's it's okay. It's it
doesn't have to.
Speaker 12 (39:53):
Be in a bracelet situation. Just ask questions. It's all good.
Speaker 8 (39:57):
So super Nova has been uh kind of working right
now to kind of come up with what we would
like to see companies in general put into place in
regards to diversity issues.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
On a larger scale.
Speaker 8 (40:12):
So you know, if you, you know, three years from now,
have a campus facing business, what we would hope for
you to be doing is to make sure that you're
looking at diversity not just on the but tender level,
but in your c suite, that you have those diverse
voices that are across you know, organizational you know, so
(40:34):
in your marketing that you're thinking about, you know, diversity,
also really in your buying, you know, making sure that
you're stocking not just you know, things that are coming
from large the white owned companies, but you've got black
Star on the on the shelf, or you've got Andrew's
Edibles on the shelf, being able to include those companies
that are being fronted by people of color, so there
(40:55):
is some you know, more equity in there. I think
one of the things that kind of straits of people
of color becomes the idea that you know, drones in
jail for selling cannabis and Chad just open a dispensary
on his corner. This idea that you know, we're not
participating and people are still in jail. So if you
make sure that on different levels, you know, especially on
(41:17):
those power levels, that you've got participation across the board,
that's how you become.
Speaker 7 (41:21):
A good ally.
Speaker 8 (41:22):
And there are good allies in the space. They are
out there and they definitely exist. So as long as
you keep your eyes open for that, get ready to
good position.
Speaker 6 (41:29):
And I would just you know, piguyback on that, I
would just say, be proactive. That question was a great question,
So be proactive, you know, don't don't wait on the
city in a state to give you rules and regulations
on how to implement social equity. Right, you know what
your community sees, you know what your community reflects. Try
to reflect that too, you know what I mean. Be
cognizant of the people around you and empathetic. And I
think you know that question was a great start.
Speaker 7 (41:52):
Exactly everything what they said.
Speaker 9 (41:54):
And please, please please continue to be as courageous and
in asking those questions and be a SPU.
Speaker 10 (42:08):
Being a social equity applicant operator, could you tell us
a little about the application process and if the program
needs any refining.
Speaker 13 (42:20):
The first question is really easy. The application process is
thanks due to me getting raided and you know, losing
my livelihood in twenty thirteen. Uh, that's the price I
paid to be a socialacret candidate today. That was the
biggest piece of this. You know, it happened since and
thank goodness, the city of la and the people that
run the city had found it, you know, their responsibility
(42:43):
to ensure that a social equity program was created, you know,
due to the.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
War on drugs and everything else. The second part of that.
Speaker 7 (42:49):
But what was that again?
Speaker 12 (42:50):
Though?
Speaker 14 (42:51):
Does the program need refining?
Speaker 11 (42:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (42:53):
I like, are you sure you want to ask you that?
Speaker 13 (42:55):
I'm not recorded on TV?
Speaker 4 (42:56):
So it's so the socialty program when I was, you know,
Verge Grant and the people that were instrumental and putting
the social equity program in play had every great intention
in mind. The reality of it is realizing those intentions
is totally different than creating them. And in creating the program,
(43:17):
I think what the socio Equity program has done was
you've given someone an opportunity to make it through an
application process. But then when they make it through application process,
they don't have the knowledge, they don't have the funding,
they don't.
Speaker 13 (43:31):
Have the resources necessary to get something done, and that
is to me today the issue with the social equity program.
To give you an idea of Mike background, I'm a
social equity candidate. You're talking to a man that you know.
I graduated from undergrad went and worked for one of
the best consulting companies in the world, did consulting.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
For over five years, then went to the top five NBA.
After getting my MBA, I came out and did mergers and.
Speaker 13 (43:57):
Acquisitions and strategy consulting with CEOs and to help them
understand what they needed to do. I can badly do
this shit, so you know, excuse my French, but this
is the situation we put social equity candidates in without
giving them any collaboration, any guidance. And I hope that
we can remedy the situation based on where we're at.
(44:18):
But you know, it's a dunting task and I think
it's uphill battle. That's why black stars here.
Speaker 4 (44:23):
We're hoping to help people kind of you know, cross
this our bridge a little bit better as we're trying
to cross it ourselves. But you know, I thank goodness
for social equity, but you know, I'm interested to see
where it's at.
Speaker 13 (44:36):
In two years and hopefully we can help progress that.
Speaker 10 (44:40):
Yeah, let's let's let the other panelists speak about how
they feel like social equity has impacted the city of
latill quick here.
Speaker 12 (44:51):
Yeah, absolutely actually helped my company.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
As we're going public, we set aside twenty million dollars
to the movements. So two biggest issues that I see.
Number one, there's no affirmative action here. So, like Brian
was saying, like sixty years of plight, you know for
black and brown operators, black and brown families.
Speaker 12 (45:15):
We have at least three.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Generations of black, brown men and women that have been
incarcerated and killed, and you literally cannot say this law
is to help black and brown people.
Speaker 12 (45:30):
Great idea, poor execution.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
The second thing is California decided to act when legalization
got passed as its own country, so you have different
rules in every damn city. There's no top down programs.
So Oakland is very different than La La is very
different than San frans San France, different than Sacramento. You
(45:55):
got different people with different needs, and it just doesn't
look good at all, and it's tough. So it's really
really an issue that's near and dear to my heart.
But just being realistic about it. I've got a lot
of doubts about the program and my solution. I mean,
(46:20):
in my head, in my heart, I pushed the.
Speaker 12 (46:23):
Big companies like I did, you know, push my company
to work with the people.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
You got to push the corporations to do it because
they have the money. This is a capitalist society. That's
what it comes back down to. Like Brian said, there's
not a lot of incentive in California for these big
companies to.
Speaker 12 (46:38):
Incubate these folks. There's not a lot of incentive for
the big corporations to come and help.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
With need to help.
Speaker 12 (46:44):
Andrea like, hopefully we fall into those situations. Sometimes we do.
Sometimes we get lucky, sometimes we work hard and get discovered.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
But until there's that incentive for those corporations to do that,
like how many times as.
Speaker 12 (46:59):
The government and actually come through and follow through with
the promises that they've.
Speaker 8 (47:03):
Given us, I'm still waiting for my forty acres.
Speaker 12 (47:09):
Of the situation.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
And I don't know, I mean cautiously optimistic about it,
but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Speaker 10 (47:17):
Yeah, thank you so much for touching on the fragmented
nature of the industry. I mean although we have standards
and regulations, there's so much great areas still and like
Rico is saying, you go to a different city and boom,
you've endured like a different world.
Speaker 14 (47:34):
Whitney, I would love to hear what you.
Speaker 7 (47:36):
Have to add.
Speaker 8 (47:37):
Besides running Apothecary, I'm also a board member for Supernova Women.
Supernova Woman is an organization that sets forth to help
women of color become stakeholders.
Speaker 7 (47:48):
In the cannabis space.
Speaker 8 (47:49):
And one of the big things that we do with
advocacy and so Supernova has been an advocate for equity,
especially up in the Bay from the get and we
have also very much noticed that issues that have come
into play since equity has been in place.
Speaker 1 (48:02):
And so two of the things that.
Speaker 8 (48:04):
We we've been talking about are a, you know, taxes, Uh,
right now, we're in a situation where cannabis is heavily taxed,
heavily taxed. We're talking thirty five percent, forty percent taxes.
Where's that tax money going?
Speaker 12 (48:20):
Of course, because yeah, it's just don't get me started.
Speaker 8 (48:26):
So so we've got all this tax money that is
is really not coming back to the community at hand.
Speaker 12 (48:33):
We believe that those taxes need to be reduced.
Speaker 8 (48:35):
But even more so, we believe that a lot of
that tax money could also be uh used to be
able to fund the black and brown businesses that they're
giving people the op you know, opportunity to have licenses for,
but now cannot.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Afford what it takes to run them.
Speaker 8 (48:47):
So there's a a great opportunity for them to be
able to funnel money back or to at least do
business loans to these organizations who cannot be you know,
cause we can't get a record business loan.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
You know.
Speaker 8 (48:57):
So you're sitting here making a ton of profit off
the backs of these communities that have been decimated for years.
How about you throw some of that money back and
on the other side of that becomes the idea of
social equity came from the idea that we've got these communities,
brown and black people that have been disproportionately disenfranchised. We've
got people who are thrown in jail. We've got people
who were unable to get jobs. We've got people who
(49:18):
were unable to get education cut out of you know,
being able to do federal student loans that have really
torn communities apart. And what we're saying is because of
all those things you went through. You can get this
you know, lucky shot at maybe getting a license. Well
what if I don't want to own a cannabis business.
What then you still have these communities that had to
(49:38):
go through all these things. So the only way that
our you know, that we give back to these communities
is by offering them, you know, a better chance at
a license, and we've failed. We also need to figure
out other ways that we can be able to reinvest
in these communities that have gone through this, you know,
and that can be done through the social I mean
(50:00):
through our equity program, you know, where we're giving job training,
when we're giving opportunities for expungement, when we're working with
people to you know, better community development housing, whatever that is.
We can't say that the only thing that we're going
to come back with is a discount license.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
That's just can't be the plan.
Speaker 8 (50:18):
And so those are the things that also need to
be looked at in the equity program because the issue
becomes that you know, Oakland came up with a program,
they came up with a program.
Speaker 14 (50:29):
Both of those programs are starting to get closed.
Speaker 8 (50:31):
You know, people are just taking them, dropping them in
new cities, none of the problems are being fixed, but
now they're getting you know, multiplying everywhere, and.
Speaker 1 (50:38):
So we need to go back to the base.
Speaker 8 (50:40):
That's what things super Over is doing right now is
going back.
Speaker 14 (50:43):
You know, let's look at this program, Oakland.
Speaker 12 (50:44):
This stuff is not working.
Speaker 8 (50:46):
Let's fix it before these problems become prevalent across the
country because everyone's pointing at you know, what they've done,
and yet we're not taking the time to fix all
the issues that we started.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
Thank you, that's really great insight.
Speaker 10 (51:00):
Oh my gosh, Andrea, did you have something to add
to this.
Speaker 9 (51:04):
It's important for us again to be a part of
the dialog, be a part of the conversation, be a
part of advocacy. But it's also incumbent upon us to
be social equity in our hiring practices, in our advocacy,
in how we operate in our sourcing or product So
we have to also be a part of the change.
(51:25):
And you know, for me that's important not only in
my parturing.
Speaker 12 (51:30):
But also in my practice.
Speaker 9 (51:32):
Some people get really scared when they see my crew
come into the kitchen. My intention is to be social equity,
Like I want to set my intention to be able
to say, Okay, here's what we're gonna do, you know,
and not wait, you know, not hold my breath for someone,
(51:53):
because that's going to evolve. All of that is gonna
change because we are here, right, Because we are that's
gonna change, because we're a part of the conversation. That's
going to change, because we are advocating. That's going to
change because.
Speaker 12 (52:04):
Of super noble woman.
Speaker 9 (52:05):
That's gonna you know. So but until then, what are
we doing?
Speaker 3 (52:11):
You know?
Speaker 9 (52:11):
And we have to set our intention and be diligent
in that.
Speaker 14 (52:16):
Ye, do we have any student questions?
Speaker 1 (52:28):
That's pretty powerful stuff. Oh boy, we need it definitely
more than an hour today. And uh, unfortunately we're coming
up to the close of the show. But I want
to leave you with one last powerful excerpt from doctor
Brandy Cross. Doctor Cross is a scientist, researcher, an advocate
(52:51):
whose work explores cannabis through the lens of health, history,
and equity. Her words serve it just drives it all home.
It serves is a crucial reminder that cannabis legalization alone
is not enough to undo the racist legacy of prohibition.
So let's let's listen as she really brings the critical
(53:16):
Point Home Club.
Speaker 14 (53:18):
We are very aware of the social equity program. Why
is it so important?
Speaker 3 (53:23):
So I'm going to try to kind of tie into
the narrative since we're talking about our various communities. So
I'm Afro Indigenous in case you couldn't tell, you usually can't.
That means I'm black and I'm North American Indian. I'm
a chalked on nation, although I'm registered as Dinner or
Nava home. In our communities, we are up against a
(53:43):
lot of things because cannabis means jail time, Cannabis means
the cops will kill you. Cannabis means a lot more
severe penalties. And this goes into Latino communities as well,
because anyone knows those are indigenous people as well, and
it's not Latinos that necessarily passes white that are being
murdered by the police. Let's just say so, Europe against
(54:05):
a lot of things. Even if people believe and grandma
keeps the secret plant in the closet that you don't
know about, or that bottle of something that she gives
you when you're really sick, and.
Speaker 14 (54:14):
The same with black grandma's too. They do it too.
Speaker 3 (54:16):
They hide it because all they know is you could
go to jail, and even if they believe in the
medicinal powers, it's.
Speaker 14 (54:22):
Like, well it might heal you, but you might die.
Speaker 3 (54:25):
So you know, it's this life or death gamble, and
it has been in our communities for a long time.
So as a black person, I go back to the
history of bringing back slavery and bringing seed. Here people's
teeth were pulled out for saying the word daga, which
is in different African dialects means cannabis plant.
Speaker 14 (54:44):
They actually remove their teeth.
Speaker 3 (54:45):
So these things fall into this modern history where we
have black, Latino and Indigenous people kind of being held
back by the quote unquote legalization efforts. So the social
equity bills are really imp important. A lot of the
licensing and I've read all the dialogue and one thing
I had a problem with is you have to give
(55:07):
up your indigenous federal rights for this license. Why would
I give up federal indigenous rights to have a rokie
dokey license that I'm paying ten thousand and up a year.
Speaker 14 (55:18):
To have When.
Speaker 3 (55:22):
Nobody's making that kind of money that cares about their patients.
Nobody's making that kind of money. Who labels correctly nobody's
making that kind of money without oppressing someone else. So
I have a lot of issues with the way Prop
sixty five was written, because sorry sixty four.
Speaker 14 (55:38):
Prop two fifteen could have been cleaned up a lot better.
Speaker 3 (55:41):
Patient advocacy groups were really against it, and a lot
of community groups were against it because it took away
the right for patients to cultivate for themselves, and it
took away their groups, their cooperatives where people like us,
we get together and say, oh, hey, we have this garage,
we're gonna grow twenty plans, we're gonna split between us,
and then we're gonna have this medicine for a year.
Speaker 14 (56:01):
So there's a lot of problematic things.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
So the social equity programs are the only way to
kind of bring back free cannabis, giveaway farms, cooperative farms,
and you know, low cost medicine for people who are.
Speaker 14 (56:14):
Truly sick, because being sick costs a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (56:17):
If everyone wants to have capitalism, which I personally don't,
but if we're going to live in capitalism, everything costs money.
And so with nowhere to donate to and know where
to give away cannabis, we're really hurting the patients while
we're rewarding recreational users.
Speaker 1 (56:33):
That's just my opinion.
Speaker 7 (56:35):
So it's changed a lot.
Speaker 14 (56:37):
Now I see people getting into this industry.
Speaker 3 (56:40):
Like money signs in their eyes, when it used to
be people with tears in their eyes saying this is
all it works for me. I will die without this,
like people like me who cried at night with pain
without it, people who needed access to this other thing.
And I think without stepping up in serving those boundaries
(57:01):
and those limits around at least medical cannabis, we're gonna
lose the health benefits forever.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
The whole medicinal is at stake. I mean, we will
lose the health benefits forever. It's more than just the
promise of a high. And there's adult recreational, there's medicinal,
but there's so much at stake, and true reform it
must go beyond simply making cannabis legal. It must actively
(57:37):
dismantle the systemic inequalities that have long plagued this industry
and the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs.
You can't just make it legal, and you just can't
make it easy for these people who are harmed and
impacted and don't have the resources to run a business
and think you're going to level the playing field by saying, oh, okay,
(58:01):
here you can have a license to a dispensary running
a legal dispensary. Well, that's another episode. But there are
systemic inequalities and they're historic, and people who are impacted
by the war on drugs, Like they said, it's pretty
(58:26):
tough when one of their when a black person sitting
in prison and a white person is reaping the benefits
off their backs, on the opportunity that this multi bill
billion industry offers. So you know, in closing today, the
(58:50):
responsibility to drive meaningful change obviously can't fall on legislation alone.
There's a lot of corporations can do. Corporations and investors
and established cannabis businesses, they've got to step up and
commit to social equity, not just as a talking point
but as an integral part of their business models. I'd
(59:12):
love to see government incentives for them to do that,
you know, but they've got to step up, whether it's
through mentorship, financial assistance, or partnerships that provide real opportunities
for growth. The private sector has the power to make
the tangible difference where government programs have failed, and it
(59:32):
would be nice if the government would take responsibility incentify
the corporations to do so. So anyway, we've got a
close I want to thank everyone for tuning in today.
Your support means and everything, and I hope this conversation
has inspired you to find meaningful ways to incorporate social
(59:54):
equity into your life. Your curiosity and commitment to just
say oh what drives these important discussions, conversations that have
the power to reshape how the world sees green, but
starts from the bottom up. If you you know, all
politics are local
Who's Hello, Hello, and welcome to Just Say No, the
show where we spotlight cannabis innovators, game changing products, and
the visionaries driving the legal cannabis movement. I'm your host,
Maria calabre Is, broadcasting on KCAA Radio ten fifty AM
(00:21):
one O six point five FM, the station that leaves
no listener behind. Today, I would like to close out
Black History Month by discussing a topic that is both
as urgent as it is long overdue, social equity in
the cannabis industry. As we celebrate Black History Month, we
are called to confront some difficult truths. While the cannabis
(00:43):
industry is thriving, the communities that have suffered the most
from prohibition continue to be largely excluded from its opportunities.
The War on drugs disproportionately targeted black and brown communities,
tearing apart families and filling prisons with non viol and offenders. Now,
is legalization sweeps the country, those same communities are being
(01:07):
left behind. This isn't just a cannabis This isn't just
a cannabis issue. It's a civil rights issue, an economic
justice issue, and a test of our commitment to fairness.
Why should we care. Well, let's let's have a listen
to some folks who are anxious to let us know.
Speaker 2 (01:26):
Sounds like there's privilege of racism involved in the marijuana industry.
I'm still waiting on my acres in the mule right now,
and I'm gonna putduves on my mule.
Speaker 3 (01:34):
People who've been harmed by the War on drugs in particular,
that they want essentially those forty acres in that mule
as well in this new buddying industry.
Speaker 4 (01:42):
What you really need to do is go back in
the thirties the African Americans.
Speaker 5 (01:48):
They shouldn't They were basically users.
Speaker 6 (01:51):
And they are basically responded the worst of those drugs
just because their character.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
They can them.
Speaker 5 (02:01):
They're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime, their rapists.
Speaker 7 (02:05):
There's still a lot of people incarcerated, there's still a
lot of people that need help.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
My company, as we're going public with set aside twenty
million dollars to Hocal.
Speaker 8 (02:15):
Equity Movement Supernovle Women as an organization that sets forth
to help women of color become stakeholders in the cannabis space.
Speaker 9 (02:24):
It's important for us again to be a part of
the dialog, but it's also incumbent upon us. To be
social equity, we have to also be a part of
the change. Some people get really scared when they see
my crew come into the kitchen.
Speaker 1 (02:47):
The injustice doesn't just harm fledgling black entrepreneurs, it weakens
the industry as a whole. A cannabis market without equity
is one that repeats the sins of the past, where
profit is prioritized over people and power is concentrated in
the hands of the few. The truly inclusive industry benefits
everyone me, you, consumers, businesses, your society as a whole. Today,
(03:12):
we're going to hear from a few of the trailblazers
I've had the pleasure of meeting over the years, including
social equity operators, scientists, and attorneys who work with la
city and county governments, each doing their part to try
to break down barriers in the legalized cannabis market. We'll
explore the history of prohibition, the failures of current equity programs,
(03:36):
and what must be done to right these wrongs, not
just in theory but in practice. So, whether you're a
cannabis connoisseur you think push is just the fancy pillow,
this conversation affects you. By the end of the show,
I promise you're going to walk away with a deeper
understanding of how equity in cannabis connects to justice in
(03:56):
America and what you can do to be part of
the solution. So stay tuned because we're about to challenge
outdated narratives, uplift powerful voices, and push for the change
the industry this country you desperately deserve. Come on, let's
get smarter with some of the brightest minds in the industry.
Speaker 5 (04:17):
By twenty twenty, Bank of America and Merrill Lynch estimate
that will grow to thirty five billion dollars, and many
experts believe it could eventually reach two hundred billion dollars
each and every year.
Speaker 7 (04:39):
Stop. I can see so much young your.
Speaker 1 (05:04):
I'm a betify who is going to be gone.
Speaker 7 (05:07):
Taking me a while to get it.
Speaker 1 (05:10):
Had to live and cry to appreciate your life and
what you give his words.
Speaker 10 (05:15):
When you're holding me, when you hold me so close,
someone further and under your skin.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
I want to leave the mix so that I can
be sure that you remember wise man, welcome back. Before
we dive into today's conversation, it's important to understand why
social equity and cannabis isn't just a buzzword, why it's
a necessity. Legalization in and of itself, it does not
(05:44):
guarantee diversity, access or inclusion into the industry. Without intentional policies,
the same communities that have been harmed the most by
prohibition will continue to be left behind. To truly grasp
the inequities in cannabis today, we have to look back
at how prohibition was built on a foundation of racism
(06:05):
and fear mongering. So I want to throw to a
GBLTV quick kit. For more quick kits, you can tune
into greenbeylife dot com. Let's see what we've got here.
Speaker 11 (06:26):
Look up Harry Anslinger nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act
and really understand what.
Speaker 1 (06:34):
The rationale was behind the prohibition.
Speaker 11 (06:38):
Really understand that prior to the nineteen thirty seven Marijuana
Tax Act, marijuana was used.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
It dates back to the Bible. It was used as
an anti inflammatory for pain relief for the pain associated
with the childbirths. So understand the history, and then you
have to read if you.
Speaker 11 (06:58):
Only read one thing about it, Jack Herrer's The Emperor
Wears no clothes.
Speaker 1 (07:04):
Many people will tell you that that's what changed thirty
is the misinformation campaign was started in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 5 (07:11):
America's public enemy Number one is drug abuse.
Speaker 7 (07:15):
Just say no, an unwinnable war fueled by lives fought
against the counterculture and married to racism. But the times
they are changing. Recreational marijuana now legal in New York.
Speaker 1 (07:29):
I think this plant is finally going to get its day.
I think this plan is finally going to get its day,
and hopefully the people who brought it to America will
So you know, Cannabis wasn't always criminalized. In the eighteen hundreds,
(07:49):
it was widely used for medicinal and industrial purposes. But
in the early nineteen hundreds a shift occurred, one driven
by xenophobia and racial propaganda. Mexican immigrants fleeing political and
economic turmoil, brought the cultural practice of smoking marijuana to
the United States. Instead of embracing this new use and
(08:13):
plant and crop, politicians and media figures, most notably Harry Anslinger,
seized the moment to demonize both the plant and the
people associated with it. Anslinger, the architect of the nineteen
thirty seven Marijuana Tacks Act, pushed the unfounded idea that
(08:34):
cannabis led to violence and insanity, especially among black and
Latino communities. He tied cannabis use to jazz culture, claiming
it made black musicians forget their place and fueled mural corruption.
By using the Spanish term in marijuana instead of cannabis,
(08:59):
he ensured that the drug and the fear surrounding it
was associated with Mexican immigrants. The result a wave of
discriminatory policies and disproportionate enforcement. By nineteen thirty eight, just
one year after the Marijuana Tax Act was passed, just
one year, black Americans were already three times three times
(09:22):
more likely to be arrested for narcotic drug violations than
their white counterparts, and Mexican Americans nearly nine times more likely,
nine times more likely. Fast forward to the nineteen seventies
and President Nixon. He doubled down on this racially charged war.
The Controlled Substances Act of nineteen seventy classified cannabis as
(09:45):
a Schedule one drug alongside heroin, effectively criminalizing millions more
you know. Nixon's own advisors later admitted that the war
on drugs was a political weapon used to target black
communities and anti war activist, making it a felony. If
(10:08):
you become a fealon, you can't vote. So the nineteen
eighties brought Reagan's War on drugs, which escalate a mass incarceration,
further devastating communities of color. Harsh sentencing laws and mandatory
minimums ensued that black and Latino individuals face disproportionately severe
(10:31):
penalties for nonviolent drug offenses. Even today, despite similar usage
rates across racial groups, black individuals are still nearly four
times four times more likely to be arrested for cannabis
possession than white individuals. Now, as legalization sweeps across the country,
(10:52):
a multi billion dollar industry is emerging. But who is
profiting and who is still paying the price? While to
help us unpack these questions, I was honored to catch
up with Yvet McDowell at a National Cannabis Industry Trade
Association summit held in West Hollywood just a few months ago.
Yvat is a seasoned attorney, a class act a consultant,
(11:15):
and a fierce advocate for social equity and cannabis. She
has a background in law enforcement and public service and
now works to try to ensure fair access and justice
for those harmed most by the War on drugs. Through
her firm vat McDowell Consulting, she helps shape policy and
(11:36):
empower communities to thrive in this emerging legal cannabis space,
consulting LA city and county governments. So I wanted to
share a little bit of my conversation with her.
Speaker 7 (11:49):
Here we go. Most people are familiar with the War
on drugs. That's how social equity came about. What statistics
have shown that's collected by the Department of Justice shows
that there was a disproportionate number or communities of arrest
for cannabis possession or cannabis use that impacted African American
(12:14):
and Latinos more than anyone else, even though the rate
of use amongst whites was about the same. But when
you look at the arrest statistics, an entirely different thing.
What those arrests did, it really made it difficult for
people to be able to take advantage of things, for example,
(12:35):
housing benefits. You have an arrest record, it's gonna go
against you.
Speaker 1 (12:41):
You can't even vote, that's.
Speaker 7 (12:44):
Right, you can't vote, I mean housing, social security benefits.
There are so many things that you are now disproportionately
impacted on And as a result of that, there was
legislation passed by Senator Stephen Bradford out of the Guardina
I believe that's where he's from, and he introduced what's
(13:07):
called the Social Equity Bill. What that does It allows
for the state to infuse certain amounts of money to
help those who were convicted of convictions to remove some
of the barriers to entry to enter the cannabis industry.
And the barriers are high, very difficult to get in
(13:29):
this space. But if you have been convicted many times,
that would have held you back. So giving somebody a
foot up to enter an industry that is a multi
billion dollar industry to take part in that, why wouldn't
you give people that even help build the industry, give
(13:50):
them an opportunity to come in, to be able to
build some legacy and hopefully pass it down to their family.
So that was introduction of social equity and that made.
Speaker 1 (14:05):
Yes the theory in reality, in real what upp what.
Speaker 7 (14:12):
Upp There are lots of problems with social equity. You know,
when we talk about giving monies to set people up
in the shop, many social equity applicants don't have the
business acumen coming in and as such, you said you
were going to provide tool state, So where are the tools?
(14:36):
You said you were going to give monies in order
to help. Where is the money going? Where has it gone?
And I'll give you an example of that. For example,
Social Equity was given fifteen million dollars by the state,
and when I look at what enforcement dollars went out,
it was somewhere around one hundred and sixty million dollars.
(14:59):
Youth program I'm all for youth. I worked in youth programs.
They were giving youth programs sixty to eighty million dollars.
I said, would you give a revenue generating industry social
equity operators fifteen million? I said, what is enforcement doing
(15:20):
to generate revenue? What are the youth programs doing to
generate revenue? Social equities generating revenue?
Speaker 1 (15:29):
It's backwards, it's backwards. And what's really maddening is those
enforcement dollars. I don't think they're enforcing. I mean that's
what I hear enforced everywhere. There's four at least four
I see elicit dispensaries to everyone legal one walking down
(15:53):
a everywhere. Where are the enforcement dollars going?
Speaker 7 (15:59):
I don't know, but I know they're not going to
social equity, that's for sure. Why do we still have
so many illicit shops and a lot of them advertise
you go by see the green Cross we mass even
they advertise. So I don't understand why enforcement is not
(16:19):
happening when they're making themselves so readily available for you
law enforcement.
Speaker 1 (16:26):
And the consequences on this, guys is it's just not
it's not profitable. It doesn't lift up communities, it doesn't.
It has a counter effect.
Speaker 7 (16:42):
Yeah, so something that was supposed to be good, it's failing.
Speaker 1 (16:48):
It's failing.
Speaker 7 (16:49):
Yeah, the state, in my opinion, has failed with social equity.
Speaker 1 (16:54):
Now that's in California. Are there any states that got
it right?
Speaker 7 (16:59):
I can't think of Vinny.
Speaker 1 (17:01):
I know, I know I can't either.
Speaker 7 (17:04):
California leads the way. But if California's leading the way,
then I'm sorry, everyone's gonna fail.
Speaker 1 (17:13):
Sheep off a cliff. So we gotta wake up people
because you know, how bad does it have to get?
I mean, but today's that was one of the topics
of today's discussion that you moderate it with a very
very lively panel, and one of just one of the
many perks of being a member of the NCIA is
(17:37):
these subject matter experts. It's a place for these great
minds to come together and talk about conversations. Cannabis is prohibition.
Its origins were based in racism, going back to the
nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act. Yes, and then you
go through the seventies with Nixon and then the failed
(18:00):
War on drugs, which a lot of people don't understand,
but you've got to get this, guys. It was a
war in human rights and on science. Yes, and this
is a madison plant that can help a lot of people,
and it can help the economy. But what were some
of the other takeaways from the Lively panel you moderated today.
Speaker 7 (18:23):
You know, one of the biggest things, I think the
regulators are really faced with a difficult problem because they
are at the whim of the city Council's the board
of supervisors to do what needs to be done. Money.
They need money to run these programs and they're not
getting the money that they need. And as I share
(18:45):
with my clients, you have to have money to put
these programs together, because if you don't have the money
to put the right technical assistance in place, you're going
to be setting people up for failure for sure, people
coming in who really don't have a grasp and the
business acumen of what to do. How are they supposed
(19:08):
to get this stuff? If you're not going to provide
technical assistance to really help them. And you say you
want to help remove barriers, come on, then help remove
them and give money to the programs that need it exactly.
Speaker 1 (19:25):
And this is where everyone out there comes in. We've
got to start with you've got to understand the origins
of the prohibition. Yes, it's god to understand the inequity
and the failed war on drugs. Yes, you've got to
understand what's at stake here.
Speaker 7 (19:45):
That's right, that's right. You have to understand it, and
that requires education.
Speaker 1 (19:50):
It requires education. And the reason you need to understand
it is because we need your voice. Yes, and you
spoke about that. Can you speak a little bit about that?
Speaker 7 (19:59):
Because I've been involved with NCIA for a lot of years,
and I had the privilege to go to the capital
and lobby for four years. And I'll tell you when
you walk into those offices of some of the legislators
and you talk with their staff, because most times you're
(20:20):
meeting with staff you're not meeting with senators or from
members from the House.
Speaker 1 (20:26):
But if they're constituents, if they're we're rattling their cages exactly.
Speaker 7 (20:33):
That's why I say all politics is local, and you
have to start on the local level. Get to know
your political pundits I'll call them, for lack of better words.
Get to know who they are, get to know what
their concerns are, what interests them, and you really start
(20:54):
having the conversation on cannabis on a local level. Because
they don't just elevate to the state or to the
federal government just by a ballot. They don't do that.
You have to get to know them first here and
then follow them as they elevate. And as you do that,
you provided education to them, so they now can take
(21:18):
a look at the taxes, how much in taxes are
being collected, Where are those taxes going?
Speaker 1 (21:24):
And then you said there's no money for the social
aquity or the illeagues. But I heard in California, right
there's a potential in July it'll be a forty percent tax.
Speaker 7 (21:36):
That's what I was told. I'm not an operator, but
from operators that I do talk to and deal with,
they are hurting and businesses are shutting down every.
Speaker 1 (21:50):
Day, businesses who are trying to do it legally. Yes,
they're not surviving legalization, that's right, and that leaves the
consumer vunerable to the very dangers that these tax dollars
are supposed to be going to agencies to protect those
That's wrong. And it's not marijuana. It's bad now, it's unregulated.
Speaker 7 (22:14):
It just che the illicit market thriving is what it does,
and makes no sense from where I said. If you
are really, really that concerned about eradicating the illicit market,
then create a halfway for people to come from the
illicit market to enter into the legal space. But you've
got to lower these taxes. I think this is probably
(22:38):
the most highly regulated industry around. The taxes are crazy.
Speaker 1 (22:44):
And not only lower them, but proportion them toward things
that make an investment in in the community and the
people in the future, businesses in the You know, local politics.
But what kills me about doesn't kill me. What fills
(23:05):
my energy buckets about cannabis is it gets us talking
about what you're saying, all politics is local politics. Cannabis
is sparking a conversation that it really goes to everything,
not just the issue of cannabis. Yes, and look what's
going on in the country. It's not just being on
(23:28):
your TikTok no offense. But it's not just going and
complaining or you've got to get involved. You've got to
establish the relationship. You've got to make the relationship on
the local level. Yes, hold the politician's accountable.
Speaker 7 (23:49):
Yes, no one likes being held accountable unfortunately, but it's
the nature of the beast. And I believe this is
where organizations like NCIA comes in to be able to lobby,
to pull people accountable for the tax dollars that they're spending,
where are they going. It gives us that chance to
(24:11):
really educate people, not just from the political spectrum, but
even community wise.
Speaker 1 (24:18):
Because if you don't know what the issues are and
you don't know how they impact you, yes, how are
you going to vote?
Speaker 7 (24:26):
Exactly? You have to stay engaged, you have to stay informed.
And I know as a member for me of NCIA,
it allows me to educate. And once you're educated, you
have a much better understanding of what you are.
Speaker 1 (24:44):
Talking about and what you're voting for exactly. Yes, you're
doing it informed, that's right, And especially for business operators.
I mean it was interesting. One of my big key takeaways.
I had a chuckle today when they were saying, one,
you know, people are coming in for the green rush
who are motivated by the morney. They're out of this
(25:06):
business in sixty eight months. It's like see yeah, they're like, yeah,
this is not a green rush, it's a it's a revolution.
It's a green revolution. And I find everybody I meet
more and more it's a their call to it for
our Yes, they understand the impact it can have medically
(25:27):
and justness unimproving their lives.
Speaker 7 (25:31):
We'll let you think about it. The indigenous population use
cannabis medicinally for I mean centuries, centuries.
Speaker 1 (25:41):
Wouldn'd be great if Congress got in a big circle
past the piece place.
Speaker 7 (25:45):
I would love to be a part of that table
to see that happen.
Speaker 1 (25:50):
I would invest in the stream that comes certain one
of them, yes, kind of balances.
Speaker 7 (25:56):
I'm not going to name names, but that would be
amazing to see those who have been so anti cannabis
but don't know anything about cannabia.
Speaker 1 (26:05):
That's the thing. It's it's they're misinformed. Yes, guys, this
has been it's been in the shadows for eight decades
nineteen thirty seven, marijuana tag sac people were doing it.
There'd be a little plant in the closet with the
light that your mother would say, don'pen air there, but
she'd go in there when you were sick as a kiddy.
(26:26):
What's in there? This has been in the shadows. The
only information we have is misinformation. Isn't everything old is
new again? Doesn't it sound a lot like what's happening now? Yes,
you can't be basing your decisions off of well you can,
but you're not. It's not gonna benefit anyone to come
up basing your your opinions based on propaganda and misinformation.
(26:52):
And you know the war on drugs, Just say no
and no. But my radio show is just say no
with a K and ow hold on, say no and
o W. You have to know before you jump to
or why yes, And we're not telling you to go
(27:14):
in either direction. And your value systems, your value system,
but do it based on.
Speaker 7 (27:20):
Information informed. Cannabis use, whether you consume or not, that's
on you.
Speaker 1 (27:28):
And how and whether it's responsibly exactly same with alcohol,
exactly the same thing with food, anything anything responsible use.
Speaker 7 (27:39):
We don't want our kids out consuming. No, we do
not want that.
Speaker 1 (27:44):
We know that.
Speaker 7 (27:45):
But how do we educate our kids if we ourselves
are not educated?
Speaker 1 (27:51):
That's right. And and you're not even able to have
an open conversation with.
Speaker 7 (27:55):
Them exactly our kids.
Speaker 1 (27:58):
To meet them where they are exactly and talk to
them about it.
Speaker 11 (28:02):
And with.
Speaker 1 (28:05):
The scheduling, we can remove barriers to research to really
find out what is the impact on brains under twenty
one years old? But we know what the impact of
cigarettes are.
Speaker 7 (28:14):
That's right, that's right. It's quite interesting to me. And
I believe it's Miss ole Miss that has been doing
a study. The government has been paying them for like
thirty years to grow cannabis and study cannabis. I have
yet to see one report come from ole Miss about
(28:35):
cannabis as the impact. I keep asking that question, why
reports you have? Federal government you've paid Old Miss millions
of dollars to grow and study.
Speaker 1 (28:49):
Now, this might be a conspiracy theory. I have not
fact checked this, but some people speculate it's because they
did that to come up with evidence of negative effects
and they didn't find any, So not releasing anything now,
(29:09):
isn't that that would be so wasteful to study something
to try to find what's wrong with it. Yeah, I mean,
come on, let's let's let's put opioids under that level
of scrutiny. Yes, you know, yes, but I could talk
to you all day long. So about the National Cannabis
(29:31):
Industry Association. How long have you been a member? Oh?
Speaker 7 (29:35):
My goodness, has it been ten years?
Speaker 1 (29:38):
Okay, so a lot's changed since then.
Speaker 7 (29:40):
A lot has changed a lot.
Speaker 1 (29:43):
And I mean, let's just fantasize and then we could
be realistic.
Speaker 7 (29:49):
But what where?
Speaker 1 (29:50):
What is where do you hope to see the impact
that the National Cannabis Industry Association could make over over
the next decade.
Speaker 7 (30:00):
I would say de scheduling.
Speaker 1 (30:02):
Oh, that would be great.
Speaker 7 (30:04):
That is one of the first things that needed to happen.
Safe banking needs to be a priority. Two eighty needs
to be I need complete overhaul in these things. If
we could do those three things, d schedule safe banking
in place, because right now it is still a cash
(30:27):
carry business for the most part. People are still being robbed,
people are being murdered.
Speaker 1 (30:34):
Which just reinforces the stigma and the negative stereotypes. Yes,
it just reinforces it. I just raised the child of Dare.
I was horrified. I came to automatically, but honestly, it
was hard to walk up to a dispensary. It's intimidating
with it, or I'm guard the the you know, it's it. Really,
(30:57):
that's what they have to have though, uh uh yeah,
do we have safe banking? Sure?
Speaker 7 (31:02):
Sure banking? And why should cannabis businesses not be allowed
to write off.
Speaker 1 (31:09):
That's two at that she's talking about the cannabis business
is and operator's flower touch and cannot write off their
business expenses. And then with the tax structure and where
is all this money going? They might be in California
at a forty percent tax come July, possibly their margins
(31:31):
are small, and then on top of it, they can't
write it off. So it's almost like they're trying to
squash the industry because how do you survive legalization doing
it safely responsibly.
Speaker 7 (31:43):
You can, you cannot.
Speaker 1 (31:45):
And then as a social person, just someone who gets
a license, they're giving you like happy mail money.
Speaker 7 (31:52):
Yeah, I mean that's what it is.
Speaker 1 (31:55):
Here you get a dispensary and here here here's money
that'll get you go set it up and run it.
Speaker 7 (32:02):
Let's see how long it lasts.
Speaker 1 (32:04):
Yeah, which is such an exciting new frontier where you
could create jobs. And yeah, well this is why we
want to get the word out. We want to talk
to the mainstream, and we want to talk to the
concerned parents. I want to talk to you. I want
to talk to everybody. I don't blame you, you don't
(32:25):
want it so so many feet from your church or
your kid's school, or but why, And let's have a
conversation about that. Let's really understand it, and let's figure
out sensible rules and regulations that will benefit everyone and
lift everyone in communities up, especially the communities that were
(32:46):
I mean on the War on drugs, the communities that
were destroyed.
Speaker 7 (32:51):
Yes, and destroyed is absolutely correct.
Speaker 1 (32:56):
And I you know, let's cannabis industry was supposed to
be a fresh start, an opportunity to repair the harm
caused by the War on drugs, especially in communities of color.
(33:19):
Social equity programs were designed to level the playing field,
given black and brown entrepreneurs a fair shot at success
in this booming or blooming market. But as we take
a closer look, it's clear that many of these efforts
have fallen short. And I mean, you know there's smart
people out there, like you've hat trying to figure it out.
(33:43):
But let's start with Los Angeles. After speaking with her,
I realized and learned so many things. The city has
taken steps to prioritize social equity applicants, ensuring that new
cannabis retail and delivery licenses go to those most affected
bypassed drug policies, at least until this past January twenty
twenty five. They brought in the definition of impacted communities
(34:07):
and expanded opportunities for equity ownership. But as we've seen
these policies, we have to ask are they working, And
we know the answer.
Speaker 7 (34:15):
They're not.
Speaker 1 (34:17):
You know they're not. Twenty twenty two Los Angeles Times
investigation found that equity applicants made up less than eight
percent of all the cannabis license holders statewide, far from
the sweeping change many had hoped for, and in some
cases regulations they've been revised and manipulated in ways that
(34:40):
are benefiting political insiders rather than the communities these program
or these programs were meant to serve, and compared to
other cities, LA's approach has its own unique challenges. It
doesn't have a top down approach all the different it's
a patchwork of inconsistent policies. For example, Long Beach requires
(35:01):
licensed cannabis businesses to ensure forty percent of work hours
go to equity employees, while the state of California offers grants,
fee relief and other resources to support equity at multiple levels. However,
the major roadblock in LA is the share number of
illegal dispensaries and estimated three thousand unlicensed cannabis businesses compared
(35:26):
to just three hundred and seventy three legal dispensaries three
hundred and seventy three, And how many of those three
hundred and seventy three are social equity license holders? You know,
this creates an unfair marketplace where licensed and social equity
businesses will license general licensed businesses and license social equity
(35:50):
businesses struggle to compete against the listed market that doesn't
have to follow the same rules or pay taxes. So
what's the How do we fix the system that, despite
good intentions, it's still failing black and brown entrepreneurs. That's
exactly what our next panel discussion is about. Shortly after
(36:13):
cannabis legalization in California, UCLA's Canna Club yep. UCLA was
one of the first colleges to institute a cana club.
It's a fantastic organization and I encourage everybody to look
into it and support it. They were the first, and
now many cannon clubs are popping up at colleges all
over the country. UCLA's Cannon Club hosted a powerful, powerful
(36:37):
conversation on being Black in Cannabis. It was moderated by
Danielle van Luerberg from Canasafe, and it had an incredible
panel of black entrepreneurs and advocates who shared their personal
journeys navigating an industry but several years later, is still
plagued by the same deep rooted disparities. Included Whitney Baby Whitney,
(37:02):
the visionary behind Josephine and Billie's, one of LA's first
black women owned dispensaries inspired by historic teapads where black
communities used to gather to consume cannabis safely. So if
you haven't been to Josephine Abillies, you have to go.
It's in Los Angeles, Josephine and Billies and be sure
(37:23):
to say hello to Whitney. Also, Bryant Mitchell participated. He's
the founder of Blackstar Farms. It's a cannabis company dedicated
to quality, sustainability, and creating economic opportunities for communities of
color Rica Labonte formerly l ric o' tarvar he joined
and he's a former football player turned media entrepreneur and advocate,
(37:46):
using his platforms to challenge stigma and push for an
inclusive industry. And none other than the wonderful Andrea Drummer,
a celebrated cannabis chef and founder of Elevation VIP. She's
broken barrier in both the culinary and cannabis worlds. Each
of them has first hand experience with the barriers that
(38:07):
I was discussing with the Vet McDowell about, and these
barriers they still exist today, whether it's access to funding,
navigating regulations, or competing against the illegal market. So let's
dive into their conversation and here what still needs to
change and how we may be able to move forward.
(38:36):
I love you.
Speaker 12 (38:38):
And what can I do to be solecily minded?
Speaker 1 (38:41):
What can I be mindful of?
Speaker 8 (38:43):
That's an awesome question.
Speaker 7 (38:44):
That's an awesome question.
Speaker 2 (38:46):
My answer to that just be sensitive to people's feelings
and needs. We've been through a lot as a culture
for hundreds of years. There's lots of pain behind that,
and uh, every time there's been an opportunity, we've had
the swept up from underneath us. MM. So just keep
that in mind to be an ally. If you have
uh any doubt or any question, if I W it
(39:08):
is what it is, what I'm saying or what I'm
doing insensitive insensitive, ask that's it. It's it's not m
it's not there's no rocket science to it. Just ask, right,
don't assume that somebody, oh, yeah, it's not a big deal.
Speaker 12 (39:22):
I would deal with it differently. Just ask bruh like
it's it's it's.
Speaker 2 (39:26):
Nothing wrong with being white at all. Prose I I
I promise, but I was. I would say, just get
ninety percent of the issues that we deal with on
the social end of the UH of the circuit are
avoidable just by asking, is what I'm doing uh affecting
you negatively? Is it okay for me to do this?
(39:48):
It's okay for me to say this. I let my
white friends know that, and it's it's okay. It's it
doesn't have to.
Speaker 12 (39:53):
Be in a bracelet situation. Just ask questions. It's all good.
Speaker 8 (39:57):
So super Nova has been uh kind of working right
now to kind of come up with what we would
like to see companies in general put into place in
regards to diversity issues.
Speaker 1 (40:11):
On a larger scale.
Speaker 8 (40:12):
So you know, if you, you know, three years from now,
have a campus facing business, what we would hope for
you to be doing is to make sure that you're
looking at diversity not just on the but tender level,
but in your c suite, that you have those diverse
voices that are across you know, organizational you know, so
(40:34):
in your marketing that you're thinking about, you know, diversity,
also really in your buying, you know, making sure that
you're stocking not just you know, things that are coming
from large the white owned companies, but you've got black
Star on the on the shelf, or you've got Andrew's
Edibles on the shelf, being able to include those companies
that are being fronted by people of color, so there
(40:55):
is some you know, more equity in there. I think
one of the things that kind of straits of people
of color becomes the idea that you know, drones in
jail for selling cannabis and Chad just open a dispensary
on his corner. This idea that you know, we're not
participating and people are still in jail. So if you
make sure that on different levels, you know, especially on
(41:17):
those power levels, that you've got participation across the board,
that's how you become.
Speaker 7 (41:21):
A good ally.
Speaker 8 (41:22):
And there are good allies in the space. They are
out there and they definitely exist. So as long as
you keep your eyes open for that, get ready to
good position.
Speaker 6 (41:29):
And I would just you know, piguyback on that, I
would just say, be proactive. That question was a great question,
So be proactive, you know, don't don't wait on the
city in a state to give you rules and regulations
on how to implement social equity. Right, you know what
your community sees, you know what your community reflects. Try
to reflect that too, you know what I mean. Be
cognizant of the people around you and empathetic. And I
think you know that question was a great start.
Speaker 7 (41:52):
Exactly everything what they said.
Speaker 9 (41:54):
And please, please please continue to be as courageous and
in asking those questions and be a SPU.
Speaker 10 (42:08):
Being a social equity applicant operator, could you tell us
a little about the application process and if the program
needs any refining.
Speaker 13 (42:20):
The first question is really easy. The application process is
thanks due to me getting raided and you know, losing
my livelihood in twenty thirteen. Uh, that's the price I
paid to be a socialacret candidate today. That was the
biggest piece of this. You know, it happened since and
thank goodness, the city of la and the people that
run the city had found it, you know, their responsibility
(42:43):
to ensure that a social equity program was created, you know,
due to the.
Speaker 1 (42:47):
War on drugs and everything else. The second part of that.
Speaker 7 (42:49):
But what was that again?
Speaker 12 (42:50):
Though?
Speaker 14 (42:51):
Does the program need refining?
Speaker 11 (42:53):
Yeah?
Speaker 12 (42:53):
I like, are you sure you want to ask you that?
Speaker 13 (42:55):
I'm not recorded on TV?
Speaker 4 (42:56):
So it's so the socialty program when I was, you know,
Verge Grant and the people that were instrumental and putting
the social equity program in play had every great intention
in mind. The reality of it is realizing those intentions
is totally different than creating them. And in creating the program,
(43:17):
I think what the socio Equity program has done was
you've given someone an opportunity to make it through an
application process. But then when they make it through application process,
they don't have the knowledge, they don't have the funding,
they don't.
Speaker 13 (43:31):
Have the resources necessary to get something done, and that
is to me today the issue with the social equity program.
To give you an idea of Mike background, I'm a
social equity candidate. You're talking to a man that you know.
I graduated from undergrad went and worked for one of
the best consulting companies in the world, did consulting.
Speaker 1 (43:50):
For over five years, then went to the top five NBA.
After getting my MBA, I came out and did mergers and.
Speaker 13 (43:57):
Acquisitions and strategy consulting with CEOs and to help them
understand what they needed to do. I can badly do
this shit, so you know, excuse my French, but this
is the situation we put social equity candidates in without
giving them any collaboration, any guidance. And I hope that
we can remedy the situation based on where we're at.
(44:18):
But you know, it's a dunting task and I think
it's uphill battle. That's why black stars here.
Speaker 4 (44:23):
We're hoping to help people kind of you know, cross
this our bridge a little bit better as we're trying
to cross it ourselves. But you know, I thank goodness
for social equity, but you know, I'm interested to see
where it's at.
Speaker 13 (44:36):
In two years and hopefully we can help progress that.
Speaker 10 (44:40):
Yeah, let's let's let the other panelists speak about how
they feel like social equity has impacted the city of
latill quick here.
Speaker 12 (44:51):
Yeah, absolutely actually helped my company.
Speaker 2 (44:55):
As we're going public, we set aside twenty million dollars
to the movements. So two biggest issues that I see.
Number one, there's no affirmative action here. So, like Brian
was saying, like sixty years of plight, you know for
black and brown operators, black and brown families.
Speaker 12 (45:15):
We have at least three.
Speaker 2 (45:16):
Generations of black, brown men and women that have been
incarcerated and killed, and you literally cannot say this law
is to help black and brown people.
Speaker 12 (45:30):
Great idea, poor execution.
Speaker 2 (45:31):
The second thing is California decided to act when legalization
got passed as its own country, so you have different
rules in every damn city. There's no top down programs.
So Oakland is very different than La La is very
different than San frans San France, different than Sacramento. You
(45:55):
got different people with different needs, and it just doesn't
look good at all, and it's tough. So it's really
really an issue that's near and dear to my heart.
But just being realistic about it. I've got a lot
of doubts about the program and my solution. I mean,
(46:20):
in my head, in my heart, I pushed the.
Speaker 12 (46:23):
Big companies like I did, you know, push my company
to work with the people.
Speaker 2 (46:27):
You got to push the corporations to do it because
they have the money. This is a capitalist society. That's
what it comes back down to. Like Brian said, there's
not a lot of incentive in California for these big
companies to.
Speaker 12 (46:38):
Incubate these folks. There's not a lot of incentive for
the big corporations to come and help.
Speaker 1 (46:43):
With need to help.
Speaker 12 (46:44):
Andrea like, hopefully we fall into those situations. Sometimes we do.
Sometimes we get lucky, sometimes we work hard and get discovered.
Speaker 2 (46:52):
But until there's that incentive for those corporations to do that,
like how many times as.
Speaker 12 (46:59):
The government and actually come through and follow through with
the promises that they've.
Speaker 8 (47:03):
Given us, I'm still waiting for my forty acres.
Speaker 12 (47:09):
Of the situation.
Speaker 2 (47:10):
And I don't know, I mean cautiously optimistic about it,
but I'm not going to hold my breath.
Speaker 10 (47:17):
Yeah, thank you so much for touching on the fragmented
nature of the industry. I mean although we have standards
and regulations, there's so much great areas still and like
Rico is saying, you go to a different city and boom,
you've endured like a different world.
Speaker 14 (47:34):
Whitney, I would love to hear what you.
Speaker 7 (47:36):
Have to add.
Speaker 8 (47:37):
Besides running Apothecary, I'm also a board member for Supernova Women.
Supernova Woman is an organization that sets forth to help
women of color become stakeholders.
Speaker 7 (47:48):
In the cannabis space.
Speaker 8 (47:49):
And one of the big things that we do with
advocacy and so Supernova has been an advocate for equity,
especially up in the Bay from the get and we
have also very much noticed that issues that have come
into play since equity has been in place.
Speaker 1 (48:02):
And so two of the things that.
Speaker 8 (48:04):
We we've been talking about are a, you know, taxes, Uh,
right now, we're in a situation where cannabis is heavily taxed,
heavily taxed. We're talking thirty five percent, forty percent taxes.
Where's that tax money going?
Speaker 12 (48:20):
Of course, because yeah, it's just don't get me started.
Speaker 8 (48:26):
So so we've got all this tax money that is
is really not coming back to the community at hand.
Speaker 12 (48:33):
We believe that those taxes need to be reduced.
Speaker 8 (48:35):
But even more so, we believe that a lot of
that tax money could also be uh used to be
able to fund the black and brown businesses that they're
giving people the op you know, opportunity to have licenses for,
but now cannot.
Speaker 1 (48:45):
Afford what it takes to run them.
Speaker 8 (48:47):
So there's a a great opportunity for them to be
able to funnel money back or to at least do
business loans to these organizations who cannot be you know,
cause we can't get a record business loan.
Speaker 1 (48:56):
You know.
Speaker 8 (48:57):
So you're sitting here making a ton of profit off
the backs of these communities that have been decimated for years.
How about you throw some of that money back and
on the other side of that becomes the idea of
social equity came from the idea that we've got these communities,
brown and black people that have been disproportionately disenfranchised. We've
got people who are thrown in jail. We've got people
who were unable to get jobs. We've got people who
(49:18):
were unable to get education cut out of you know,
being able to do federal student loans that have really
torn communities apart. And what we're saying is because of
all those things you went through. You can get this
you know, lucky shot at maybe getting a license. Well
what if I don't want to own a cannabis business.
What then you still have these communities that had to
(49:38):
go through all these things. So the only way that
our you know, that we give back to these communities
is by offering them, you know, a better chance at
a license, and we've failed. We also need to figure
out other ways that we can be able to reinvest
in these communities that have gone through this, you know,
and that can be done through the social I mean
(50:00):
through our equity program, you know, where we're giving job training,
when we're giving opportunities for expungement, when we're working with
people to you know, better community development housing, whatever that is.
We can't say that the only thing that we're going
to come back with is a discount license.
Speaker 1 (50:15):
That's just can't be the plan.
Speaker 8 (50:18):
And so those are the things that also need to
be looked at in the equity program because the issue
becomes that you know, Oakland came up with a program,
they came up with a program.
Speaker 14 (50:29):
Both of those programs are starting to get closed.
Speaker 8 (50:31):
You know, people are just taking them, dropping them in
new cities, none of the problems are being fixed, but
now they're getting you know, multiplying everywhere, and.
Speaker 1 (50:38):
So we need to go back to the base.
Speaker 8 (50:40):
That's what things super Over is doing right now is
going back.
Speaker 14 (50:43):
You know, let's look at this program, Oakland.
Speaker 12 (50:44):
This stuff is not working.
Speaker 8 (50:46):
Let's fix it before these problems become prevalent across the
country because everyone's pointing at you know, what they've done,
and yet we're not taking the time to fix all
the issues that we started.
Speaker 1 (50:57):
Thank you, that's really great insight.
Speaker 10 (51:00):
Oh my gosh, Andrea, did you have something to add
to this.
Speaker 9 (51:04):
It's important for us again to be a part of
the dialog, be a part of the conversation, be a
part of advocacy. But it's also incumbent upon us to
be social equity in our hiring practices, in our advocacy,
in how we operate in our sourcing or product So
we have to also be a part of the change.
(51:25):
And you know, for me that's important not only in
my parturing.
Speaker 12 (51:30):
But also in my practice.
Speaker 9 (51:32):
Some people get really scared when they see my crew
come into the kitchen. My intention is to be social equity,
Like I want to set my intention to be able
to say, Okay, here's what we're gonna do, you know,
and not wait, you know, not hold my breath for someone,
(51:53):
because that's going to evolve. All of that is gonna
change because we are here, right, Because we are that's
gonna change, because we're a part of the conversation. That's
going to change, because we are advocating. That's going to
change because.
Speaker 12 (52:04):
Of super noble woman.
Speaker 9 (52:05):
That's gonna you know. So but until then, what are
we doing?
Speaker 3 (52:11):
You know?
Speaker 9 (52:11):
And we have to set our intention and be diligent
in that.
Speaker 14 (52:16):
Ye, do we have any student questions?
Speaker 1 (52:28):
That's pretty powerful stuff. Oh boy, we need it definitely
more than an hour today. And uh, unfortunately we're coming
up to the close of the show. But I want
to leave you with one last powerful excerpt from doctor
Brandy Cross. Doctor Cross is a scientist, researcher, an advocate
(52:51):
whose work explores cannabis through the lens of health, history,
and equity. Her words serve it just drives it all home.
It serves is a crucial reminder that cannabis legalization alone
is not enough to undo the racist legacy of prohibition.
So let's let's listen as she really brings the critical
(53:16):
Point Home Club.
Speaker 14 (53:18):
We are very aware of the social equity program. Why
is it so important?
Speaker 3 (53:23):
So I'm going to try to kind of tie into
the narrative since we're talking about our various communities. So
I'm Afro Indigenous in case you couldn't tell, you usually can't.
That means I'm black and I'm North American Indian. I'm
a chalked on nation, although I'm registered as Dinner or
Nava home. In our communities, we are up against a
(53:43):
lot of things because cannabis means jail time, Cannabis means
the cops will kill you. Cannabis means a lot more
severe penalties. And this goes into Latino communities as well,
because anyone knows those are indigenous people as well, and
it's not Latinos that necessarily passes white that are being
murdered by the police. Let's just say so, Europe against
(54:05):
a lot of things. Even if people believe and grandma
keeps the secret plant in the closet that you don't
know about, or that bottle of something that she gives
you when you're really sick, and.
Speaker 14 (54:14):
The same with black grandma's too. They do it too.
Speaker 3 (54:16):
They hide it because all they know is you could
go to jail, and even if they believe in the
medicinal powers, it's.
Speaker 14 (54:22):
Like, well it might heal you, but you might die.
Speaker 3 (54:25):
So you know, it's this life or death gamble, and
it has been in our communities for a long time.
So as a black person, I go back to the
history of bringing back slavery and bringing seed. Here people's
teeth were pulled out for saying the word daga, which
is in different African dialects means cannabis plant.
Speaker 14 (54:44):
They actually remove their teeth.
Speaker 3 (54:45):
So these things fall into this modern history where we
have black, Latino and Indigenous people kind of being held
back by the quote unquote legalization efforts. So the social
equity bills are really imp important. A lot of the
licensing and I've read all the dialogue and one thing
I had a problem with is you have to give
(55:07):
up your indigenous federal rights for this license. Why would
I give up federal indigenous rights to have a rokie
dokey license that I'm paying ten thousand and up a year.
Speaker 14 (55:18):
To have When.
Speaker 3 (55:22):
Nobody's making that kind of money that cares about their patients.
Nobody's making that kind of money. Who labels correctly nobody's
making that kind of money without oppressing someone else. So
I have a lot of issues with the way Prop
sixty five was written, because sorry sixty four.
Speaker 14 (55:38):
Prop two fifteen could have been cleaned up a lot better.
Speaker 3 (55:41):
Patient advocacy groups were really against it, and a lot
of community groups were against it because it took away
the right for patients to cultivate for themselves, and it
took away their groups, their cooperatives where people like us,
we get together and say, oh, hey, we have this garage,
we're gonna grow twenty plans, we're gonna split between us,
and then we're gonna have this medicine for a year.
Speaker 14 (56:01):
So there's a lot of problematic things.
Speaker 3 (56:03):
So the social equity programs are the only way to
kind of bring back free cannabis, giveaway farms, cooperative farms,
and you know, low cost medicine for people who are.
Speaker 14 (56:14):
Truly sick, because being sick costs a lot of money.
Speaker 3 (56:17):
If everyone wants to have capitalism, which I personally don't,
but if we're going to live in capitalism, everything costs money.
And so with nowhere to donate to and know where
to give away cannabis, we're really hurting the patients while
we're rewarding recreational users.
Speaker 1 (56:33):
That's just my opinion.
Speaker 7 (56:35):
So it's changed a lot.
Speaker 14 (56:37):
Now I see people getting into this industry.
Speaker 3 (56:40):
Like money signs in their eyes, when it used to
be people with tears in their eyes saying this is
all it works for me. I will die without this,
like people like me who cried at night with pain
without it, people who needed access to this other thing.
And I think without stepping up in serving those boundaries
(57:01):
and those limits around at least medical cannabis, we're gonna
lose the health benefits forever.
Speaker 1 (57:15):
The whole medicinal is at stake. I mean, we will
lose the health benefits forever. It's more than just the
promise of a high. And there's adult recreational, there's medicinal,
but there's so much at stake, and true reform it
must go beyond simply making cannabis legal. It must actively
(57:37):
dismantle the systemic inequalities that have long plagued this industry
and the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs.
You can't just make it legal, and you just can't
make it easy for these people who are harmed and
impacted and don't have the resources to run a business
and think you're going to level the playing field by saying, oh, okay,
(58:01):
here you can have a license to a dispensary running
a legal dispensary. Well, that's another episode. But there are
systemic inequalities and they're historic, and people who are impacted
by the war on drugs, Like they said, it's pretty
(58:26):
tough when one of their when a black person sitting
in prison and a white person is reaping the benefits
off their backs, on the opportunity that this multi bill
billion industry offers. So you know, in closing today, the
(58:50):
responsibility to drive meaningful change obviously can't fall on legislation alone.
There's a lot of corporations can do. Corporations and investors
and established cannabis businesses, they've got to step up and
commit to social equity, not just as a talking point
but as an integral part of their business models. I'd
(59:12):
love to see government incentives for them to do that,
you know, but they've got to step up, whether it's
through mentorship, financial assistance, or partnerships that provide real opportunities
for growth. The private sector has the power to make
the tangible difference where government programs have failed, and it
(59:32):
would be nice if the government would take responsibility incentify
the corporations to do so. So anyway, we've got a
close I want to thank everyone for tuning in today.
Your support means and everything, and I hope this conversation
has inspired you to find meaningful ways to incorporate social
(59:54):
equity into your life. Your curiosity and commitment to just
say oh what drives these important discussions, conversations that have
the power to reshape how the world sees green, but
starts from the bottom up. If you you know, all
politics are local
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