Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
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 Calibre.
Is broadcasting on KCAA Radio ten fifty AM one O
six point five FM, the station that leaves no listener behind. Today,
(00:21):
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 industry is thriving, the
communities that have suffered the most from prohibition continue to
(00:43):
be largely excluded from its opportunities. The War on drugs
disproportionately targeted black and brown communities, tearing apart families and
filling prisons with nonviolent offenders. Now, as legalization sweeps the country,
those same communities are being left behind. This isn't just
(01:04):
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 (01:21):
It sounds like there's privilege or racism involved in the
marijuana industry. I'm still waiting on my is in a
mule right now, and I'm gonna put dubs on my mule.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
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 Boddy in industry.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
What you really need to do is go back in
the thirties the African Americans.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
They couldn't They were basically.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
Users, and they basically responded the worst of those drugs
is because their character making the wrong.
Speaker 7 (01:56):
Should as they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime.
Speaker 8 (02:00):
There's still a lot of people incarcerated.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
There's still a lot of people that need help.
Speaker 9 (02:05):
My company as who are going public becau aside.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Twenty million dollars to Hope for.
Speaker 10 (02:11):
Equities Movement Supernova Woman as an organization that sets forth
to help women of color become stakeholders in the cannabis space.
Speaker 11 (02:19):
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 (02:42):
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. But truly inclusive industry benefits everyone, me, you, consumers, businesses,
(03:04):
in your society as a whole. Today, 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,
(03:28):
the failures of current equity programs, 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
(03:49):
in cannabis connects to justice in 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 (04:12):
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.
Speaker 12 (04:24):
Each and every years.
Speaker 13 (04:43):
I can see so much.
Speaker 14 (04:47):
Young, I'm a betify who has got to be gone,
taking me a while to get it.
Speaker 15 (05:05):
Had to live and cry, to appreciate life and what
you give his words, when you hold a knee, when
you hold me so close, someone better and under your skin.
Want to leave the mife so that I can be
sure that you remember.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Wise man, welcome back. Before we dive into today's conversation,
it's important to understand why social equity in cannabis isn't
just a buzzword. Why it's a necessity. Legalization in and
of itself, it does not guarantee diversity, access or inclusion
(05:42):
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 surrounding cannabis today,
we have to look back at how prohibition was built
on a foundation of racism and fear mongering. So I
(06:03):
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. Look up Harry Anslinger nineteen
(06:24):
thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act and really understand what the
rationale was behind the prohibition. Really understand that prior to
the nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act, marijuana was used.
Speaker 8 (06:40):
It dates back to the Bible. It was used as
an anti.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Inflammatory for pain relief for the pain associated with the childbirths.
So understand the history, and then you have to read
if you only read one thing about it, Jack Herreer's
The Emperor Wears No Clothes.
Speaker 8 (06:59):
Many able will tell you that that's what changed.
Speaker 10 (07:02):
Thirty is the misinformation campaign was started in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
America's public enemy Number one is drug abuse.
Speaker 10 (07:10):
Just say no, an unwinnable war fueled by lives fought
against the counterculture and married to racism.
Speaker 16 (07:19):
But the times they are changing.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Recreational marijuana now legal in New York. 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,
(07:44):
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 were but the cultural practice of smoking marijuana
to the United States. Instead of embracing this new use
(08:08):
and 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. Antslinger, the architect of
the nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tacks Act, pushed the unfounded
(08:28):
idea that 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
(08:52):
of cannabis, he ensured that the drug and the fear
surrounding it was associated with Mexican immigrantrants. 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
(09:17):
times 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
(09:38):
classified cannabis as 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
(10:02):
a felony. If you become a fellon, you can't vote.
So the nineteen eighties brought Reagan's War on drugs, which
escalate at mass incarceration, further devastating communities of color. Harsh
sentencing laws and mandatory minimums ensued that black and Latino
(10:24):
individuals face disproportionately severe 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
(10:45):
sweeps across the country, 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 Yuvette 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
(11:09):
act a consultant, 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 firmyvat McDowell Consulting, she helps shape
(11:31):
policy and 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.
Here we go.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Most people are familiar with the War on drugs. That's
how social Equity came about. What statistics have shown and
data 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 and
(12:09):
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,
(12:30):
housing benefits. You have an arrest record, it's gonna go
against You.
Speaker 8 (12:36):
Can't even vote.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
That's 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 from, and he introduced what's called
(13:02):
the Social Equity Build.
Speaker 13 (13:05):
What that does it.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
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
this space. But if you have been convicted many times,
(13:28):
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
them an opportunity to come in, to be able to
(13:48):
build some legacy and hopefully pass it.
Speaker 13 (13:52):
Down to their family. So that was the introduction of social.
Speaker 8 (13:56):
Equity, and that made.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Yes the theory in reality, in real what upp what up?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
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 a tool, state, So where are
(14:30):
the tools you said you were going to give monies
in order to help?
Speaker 13 (14:35):
Where is the money going? Where has it gone? And
I'll give you.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
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. Youth programming. I'm all
for youth. I worked in youth programs. They were given
(14:59):
youth program 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 to generate revenue? What
are the youth programs doing to generate revenue?
Speaker 13 (15:22):
Social equities generating revenue?
Speaker 8 (15:24):
It's backwards, it's backwards.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
And what's really maddening is those enforcement dollars.
Speaker 8 (15:32):
I don't think they're enforcing. I mean, that's what I
hear enforcing.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I everywhere there's four, at least four I see elicit
dispensaries to everyone legal one walking down a way everywhere.
Speaker 8 (15:51):
Where are the enforcement dollars going?
Speaker 3 (15:54):
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
(16:14):
happening when they're making themselves so readily available for you
law enforcement.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
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. Yeah, so something that was
supposed to be good, it's failing.
Speaker 8 (16:44):
It's failing.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
You know, the state, in my opinion, has failed social equity.
Speaker 8 (16:49):
Now that's in California.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Are there any states that got it right?
Speaker 13 (16:54):
I can't think of any.
Speaker 8 (16:56):
I know, I know I can't either.
Speaker 13 (16:59):
California leads the way.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
But if California's leading the way, then I'm sorry, everyone's
gonna fail.
Speaker 8 (17:08):
Sheep off a cliff.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
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 moderated with a very very lively panel, and one
of just one of the many perks of being a
member of the NCIA is.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
These subject matter experts.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
It's a place for these great minds to come together
and talk about conversations.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
Cannabis is prohibition.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Its origins were based in racism, going back to the
nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act. Yes, and you go
through the seventies with Nixon and then the failed War
on drugs, which a lot of people don't understand, but
you've got to get this, guys.
Speaker 8 (18:00):
It was a war in human rights and on science.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yes, and this is a medisine 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 3 (18:19):
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
(18:40):
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.
Speaker 13 (19:01):
What to do.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
How are they supposed to get this stuff? If you're
not going to provide.
Speaker 13 (19:07):
Technical assistance to really help them.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
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 (19:21):
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 got to understand the inequity
and the failed war on drugs. Yes, you've got to
understand what's at stake here.
Speaker 13 (19:40):
That's right, that's right. You have to understand it, and
that requires education.
Speaker 8 (19:45):
It requires education.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
And the reason you need to understand it is because
we need your voice.
Speaker 8 (19:50):
Yes, and you spoke about that. Can you speak a
little bit about that? Because I've been.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Involved with NCIA for a lot of years, and I
had the privilege to go to the capital and lobby
for four years.
Speaker 13 (20:05):
And I'll tell you when you walk.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Into those offices of some of the legislators and you
talk with their staff, because most times you're meeting with staff,
you're not meeting with senators or from members.
Speaker 13 (20:20):
From the House.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
But if they're constituents, if they're we're rattling their cages exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
That's why I say all politics is local, and you
have to start on the local level.
Speaker 13 (20:35):
Get to know your political.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
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 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 They don't do that. You have
(21:02):
to get to know them first here and then.
Speaker 13 (21:05):
Follow them as they elevate.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
And as you do that, you provided education to them,
so they now can take a look at the taxes,
how much in taxes are being collected, Where are those
taxes going?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
And then you said there's no money for the social
aquity or the ECAR. But I heard in California right
there's a potential in July it'll be a forty percent tax.
Speaker 12 (21:31):
That's what I was told.
Speaker 13 (21:34):
I'm not an operator, but from operators that I.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Do talk to and deal with, they are hurting and
businesses are shutting down every day businesses.
Speaker 8 (21:46):
Who are trying to do it legally.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Yes, they're not surviving legalization, that's right, and that leaves
the consumer vulnerable to the very dangers that these tax
dollars are supposed to be going to agencies to protect
those That's wrong.
Speaker 8 (22:03):
And it's not marijuana.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
It's bad now, that's right, it's unregulated.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Just choose 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
(22:33):
the most highly regulated industry around. The taxes are crazy
and crazy.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
Not only lower them, but proportion them ye toward.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Things that make it investment in the in the community
and the people in the future, businesses in the You know,
local politics. But what I what kills me about does
all me well fills my energy buckets about cannabis is
it gets us talking about what you're saying, all politics
(23:07):
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 your TikTok no offense. But it's not
(23:27):
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 3 (23:44):
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 ac auntable for the tax dollars that
they're spending.
Speaker 13 (24:03):
Where are they going?
Speaker 3 (24:04):
It gives us that chance to really educate people, not
just from the political spectrum, but even community.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Wise, 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 13 (24:21):
Exactly?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
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.
Speaker 13 (24:34):
And once you're educated, you.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Have a much better understanding of what you are talking about.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
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 money.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
They're out of this business in sixty eight months.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
It's like see, yeah, they're like, yeah, this is not
a green rush, it's a it's a revolution.
Speaker 8 (25:09):
It's a green revolution.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
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 and justus unimproving their lives.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Well, if you think about it, the indigenous population use
cannabis medicinally for I mean centuries, centuries.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Would'd be great if Congress got in a big circle
past the piece place.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
I would love to be a part of that table
to see that happen.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
I would invest in the strain that comes certain one
of them, yes, kind of balances.
Speaker 8 (25:51):
I'm not gonna name names, but that would.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Be amazing to see those who have been so anti
cannabis but don't know any.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
That's the thing, it's it's they're misinformed. Yes, guys, this
has been it's been in the shadows for.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Eight decades nineteen thirty seven, marijuana tag sac.
Speaker 8 (26:12):
People were doing it. There'd be a little plant in
the closet with the light that your mother would.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Say, donpen air there, but she going there when you
were sick as a kid.
Speaker 8 (26:21):
And what's in there? This has been in the shadows.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
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.
Speaker 8 (26:47):
And you know the war on drugs. Just say no
and no.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
But my radio show is just say no with a
K and ow hold on, say no, hey and ow.
You have to know before you jump to o's or
why yes, And we're not telling you to go in
either direction. And your value system is your value system,
(27:13):
but do it based on.
Speaker 8 (27:16):
Information informed.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Cannabis use, whether you consume or not, that's on you.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
And how and whether it's responsibly exactly same with alcohol,
exactly the same thing with food, anything anything responsible use.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
We don't want our kids out consuming no we do
not want that. We know that, But how do we
educate our kids if we ourselves are not educated?
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's right, And and and you're not even able to
have an open conversation with them exactly.
Speaker 13 (27:52):
Our kids got to meet.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Them where they are exactly and talk to them about it.
Speaker 8 (27:57):
And with.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
De scheduling, we can remove barriers to research to really
find out what is the impact on brains under twenty
one years old.
Speaker 8 (28:07):
But we know what the impact of cigarettes are.
Speaker 13 (28:09):
That's right, That's right. It's quite interesting to me.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
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 Whole Miss
about cannabis as the impact.
Speaker 13 (28:32):
I keep asking that question, who courts you have? Federal government?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
You've paid Old Miss millions of dollars to grow and study.
Speaker 8 (28:44):
Now, this might be a conspiracy theory.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
I have not fact checked this, but some people speculate
it's because they did that to come up with evidence
of negative effects.
Speaker 8 (28:57):
And they didn't find any.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
So not releasing anything now, isn't that that would be
so wasteful to study something to try to find what's
wrong with it.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
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 Industry Association.
Speaker 8 (29:28):
How long have you been a member?
Speaker 13 (29:29):
Oh? My goodness, has it been ten years?
Speaker 8 (29:33):
Okay, so a lot's changed since then.
Speaker 13 (29:36):
A lot has changed a lot.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
And I mean, let's just fantasize and then we could
be realistic.
Speaker 8 (29:44):
But what we're what is where do you hope to.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
See the impact that the National Cannabis Industry Association could
make over over the next decade.
Speaker 13 (29:55):
I would say de scheduling, Oh, that would be great.
That is one of the first things that need to happen.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Safe banking needs to be a priority two to ADYE
needs to be I mean 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 carried business for the most part. People are still
(30:26):
being robbed, people are being murdered.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Which just reinforces the stigma and the negative stereotypes. Yes,
it just reinforces it. I was 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 on guard the the you know, it's it. Really,
(30:52):
that's what they have to have though, Uh yeah, do
we have safe banking?
Speaker 8 (30:57):
Sure?
Speaker 13 (30:57):
Sure banking?
Speaker 3 (30:58):
And was cannabis businesses not be allowed to write off?
Speaker 1 (31:04):
That's two ade 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 at in
California at a forty percent tax come July, possibly their
(31:25):
margins 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 13 (31:38):
You can, you cannot.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
And then as a social equity person, just someone who
gets a license, they're giving you like happy mail money.
Speaker 13 (31:47):
Yeah, I mean that's what it's.
Speaker 8 (31:51):
Here.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Here you get a dispensary and here here here's money
that'll get you a happy mail.
Speaker 8 (31:55):
Go set it up and run it.
Speaker 13 (31:57):
Let's see how long it lasts.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
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.
Speaker 8 (32:16):
I want to talk to you. I want to talk
to everybody.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I don't blame you, you don't 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.
Speaker 8 (32:27):
Let's really understand it, and.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Let's figure out sensible rules and regulations that will benefit
everyone and lift everyone in communities up, especially the communities
that were I mean on the War on drugs, the
communities that were destroyed.
Speaker 13 (32:47):
Yes, and destroyed is absolutely correct.
Speaker 8 (32:51):
And I you know, Let's.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
Canvas and 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. Social equity programs
were designed to level the playing field, given black and
(33:19):
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 had trying to figure it out. But let's
start with Los Angeles. After speaking with her, I realized
(33:42):
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 bypass drug policies,
at least until this past January twenty twenty five. They
brought an the definition of impacted communities and expanded opportunities
(34:03):
for equity ownership. But as we've seen these policies, we
have to ask are they working, And we know the answer.
Speaker 8 (34:11):
They're not.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
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
(34:35):
are benefiting political insiders rather than the communities these programers.
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 licensed cannabis
(34:58):
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
(35:21):
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
(35:45):
businesses struggle to compete against the listed market that doesn't
have to follow the same rules or pay taxes. So
what's the solution. How do we fix a system that,
despite good intentions, it's still failing black and brown entrepreneurs.
That's exactly what our next panel discussion is about. Shortly
(36:08):
after cannabis legalization in California, UCLA's Canna Club. Yep, UCLA
was one of the first colleges to institute a cannon 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
(36:32):
conversation on being Black in Cannabis. It was moderated by
Danielle Van Luerberg from Canna Safe, 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. The panel
(36:55):
included Whitney Baby Whitney, the visionary behind Josephine and Billie's,
one of Eli'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 Abilities,
you have to go. It's in Los Angeles, Josephine and
(37:16):
Billies and be sure 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' tarvor he joined, and he's a former football player
(37:39):
turned media entrepreneur and advocate, 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 barriers in both the
culinary and cannabis worlds. Each of them has first hand
(38:00):
experience with the barriers that I was discussing with 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 here what
still needs to change and how we might be able
(38:25):
to move forward.
Speaker 9 (38:31):
I love it and what can I do to be
solectively minded? What would I be mindful of?
Speaker 16 (38:38):
That's an awesome question. That's an awesome question.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
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 rug swept up from underneath us. To just keep
that in mind, to be an ally, if you have
UH any doubt or any question if I W is
(39:03):
W it's what I'm saying or what I'm doing insensitive insensitive?
Speaker 9 (39:07):
Ask that's it. It's it's it's not m it's not
it's no rocket science to it.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Just ask, right, don't assume that somebody, oh, yeah, it's
not a big deal.
Speaker 9 (39:17):
I would deal with it differently. Just ask bruh, like
it is? It is it?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
It's nothing wrong with being white at all. 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? I?
Speaker 9 (39:42):
Is it okay for me to do this? It okay
for me say this?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
I let my white friends know that, and it's it's okay.
It's it doesn't have to be in a brass situation.
Speaker 9 (39:50):
Just ask questions.
Speaker 10 (39:50):
It's all good 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 (40:06):
On a larger scale.
Speaker 10 (40:07):
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
(40:29):
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 home companies, but you've got black
Star on the on the shelf, or you've.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Got Andrew's Edibles on the shelf.
Speaker 10 (40:45):
Being able to include those companies that are being fronted
by people of color. So there is some you know,
more equity in there. I think one of the things
that kind of frustrates people of color becomes the idea
that you know, Drome in jail for selling cannabis and
Chad just open a dispensary on this corner. This idea
(41:05):
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 those power levels, that you've got
participation across the board, that's how you become a good ally.
Speaker 16 (41:17):
And there are good allies in the space.
Speaker 10 (41:19):
They are out there and they definitely exist. So as
long as you keep your eyes open for that, give
me a good position.
Speaker 6 (41:25):
And I would just you know, pig yourbag 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 where 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 16 (41:47):
Exactly everything what they said.
Speaker 11 (41:49):
And please, please please continue to be as courageous and
brief in asking those questions and be able open.
Speaker 17 (42:03):
Being a social equity applicant operator, Could you tell us
a little about the application process and if the program
needs any refining.
Speaker 4 (42:12):
Oh, the the first question is really easy that the
application process is thanks due to me getting raided and
you know, losing my livelihood in twenty thirteen.
Speaker 18 (42:24):
Uh, that's the price I paid to be a social
secret candidate today. That was the biggest piece of this,
you know, I it was a happened since and and
thank goodness, the city of la uh and and and
and the people that run the city had found it,
you know, uh, their responsibility to ensure that a social
equity program was created, you know.
Speaker 8 (42:41):
Due to the warm reds and everything else.
Speaker 18 (42:43):
The the second part of that, well, what was that again?
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Though?
Speaker 19 (42:46):
Does the program need refining?
Speaker 18 (42:47):
Ooh yeah, I said, are you sure you wanna asks
me that I'm not recorded on TV?
Speaker 1 (42:51):
I was, so, it's uh so the social herrecy program.
Speaker 18 (42:55):
I was, uh, you know, Verver Grant and the people
that were instrumental and putting the social equity and play
had every great intention in mind. The reality of it
is realizing those intentions is totally different than creating them
and creating a program. I think what the socio Ecuity
program has done was you've given someone an opportunity to
(43:18):
make it through an application process. But then when they
make it through an application process. They don't have the knowledge,
they don't have the funding, they don't 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 sociocuity candidate.
(43:38):
You're target to a man that I graduated from undergrad
went and worked for one of the best consulting companies
in the world, then consulting for over five years, then
went to the top five NBA.
Speaker 8 (43:50):
After getting my MBA, I came out and did mergers
and acquisitions and strategy consulting.
Speaker 18 (43:54):
I sat with CEOs and helped them understand what they
needed to do.
Speaker 9 (43:58):
I can badly do this shit. So you know, excuse my.
Speaker 18 (44:01):
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. But you know, it's a daunting task
and I think it's up here battle.
Speaker 8 (44:17):
That's why black stars here.
Speaker 18 (44:18):
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 in two years and hopefully we can
help progress that.
Speaker 17 (44:36):
Yeah, let's let's let the other panelists speak about how
they feel like social equity has impacted the city of
La Recall a quick there.
Speaker 19 (44:45):
Topic.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Yeah, absolutely actually helped my company as we little go
on public We set aside twenty million dollars to social
equity movements. The two biggest issues that I see. Number
one just affirmative action here. So like Brian was saying,
like sixty years of plight, you know for black and.
Speaker 9 (45:06):
Brown operators, black and brown families.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
We have at least three generations of black brown men
and women that have been incarcerated and killed, and you
literally cannot say this.
Speaker 9 (45:19):
Law is to help black and brown people. Great idea
for execution.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
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 France. San France different than Sacramento. You got
(45:50):
different people with different needs, and it.
Speaker 9 (45:54):
Just doesn't look good at all, and it's tough. So
it's really really is. It's an issue that's near and
dear to my heart.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
But just being realistic about it, I've got a lot
of doubts about the program and my solution. I mean,
in in my head, in my heart, I've pushed the
big companies, like I did, you know, push my company
to work with the people. You gotta push the corporations
to do it because they have the money. This is
(46:26):
a capitalist society. That's what it comes back down to.
Like Brian said, there's there's not a lot of incentive
in California for these big companies to incubate these folks.
Speaker 9 (46:36):
There's not a lot of incentive for these big corporations
to come and help with need to help. Andrea, like,
hopefully we fall into those situations. Sometimes we do.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Sometimes we get lucky, sometimes we work hard and get discovered.
But until there's that incentive for those corporations to do that,
Like how many times have uh as the government actually
come through and follow through with the promises that they've given.
Speaker 16 (46:58):
Us waiting for my forty.
Speaker 9 (47:00):
Acres of the situation, and.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
I don't know, I mean cautiously optimistic about it, but
I'm not going to hold my breath.
Speaker 17 (47:12):
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 19 (47:29):
Whitney, I would love to hear what.
Speaker 9 (47:31):
You have to add.
Speaker 10 (47:32):
Besides running Apothecary, I'm also a board member for Supernova Women.
Supernova Women is an organization that sets forth to help
women of color become stakeholders.
Speaker 16 (47:43):
In the cannabis space.
Speaker 10 (47:44):
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 the issues that have come
into play since equity has been in place. And so
two of the things that we we've been talking about
are a, you know, taxes. Right now, we're in a
(48:07):
situation where cannabis is heavily taxed, heavily taxed. We're talking
thirty five percent, forty percent taxes. Where's that tax money going?
Speaker 9 (48:15):
Of course, because yeah, it's just.
Speaker 16 (48:19):
Don't get them to started.
Speaker 10 (48:21):
So we've got all this tax money that is really
not coming back to the community at hand. We believe
that those taxes need to be reduced, but even more so,
we believe that a lot of that tax money could
also be used to be able to fund the black
and brown businesses that they're giving people the you know,
opportunity to have licenses for, but now it cannot afford
what it takes to run them. So there's a great
(48:43):
opportunity for them to be able to funnel money back
or to at least do business loans to these organizations
who cannot be cause we can't get a regular business loan,
you know. So you're sitting here making a ton of
profit off the backs of these communities that have been
decimated for years.
Speaker 16 (48:57):
How about you throw some of that money back.
Speaker 10 (49:00):
The other side of that becomes the idea of social
equity came from the idea that we've got these communities
of 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 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
(49:22):
all those things you went through, you can get this
you know, lucky shot at maybe getting a license.
Speaker 9 (49:27):
Well what if I don't want to own a canvas business?
Speaker 10 (49:30):
What then you still have these communities that had to
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,
(49:53):
and that can be done through the social I mean
through our equity program. You know, when 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 (50:10):
That's just can't be the plan.
Speaker 10 (50:13):
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 both of those programs
are starting to get closed. 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 so we need to go back to
(50:34):
the base. That's what things Super and Over is doing
right now, is going back. You know, let's look at
this program, Oakland. This stuff is not working. 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.
Speaker 16 (50:50):
That we started.
Speaker 19 (50:53):
Thank you. That's really great insight.
Speaker 17 (50:55):
Oh my gosh, Andrea, did you have something.
Speaker 8 (50:58):
To add to this.
Speaker 11 (50:59):
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.
Speaker 9 (51:19):
Part of the change.
Speaker 11 (51:21):
And you know, for me that's important not only in
my parturing, but also in my practice. 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,
(51:42):
here's what we're gonna do, you know, and not wait,
you know, not hold my breath for someone.
Speaker 9 (51:48):
Because that's gonna evolve.
Speaker 11 (51:49):
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 gonna change, because we are advocating.
That's gonna change because of super noble woman. That's gonna
you know. So but until then, what are we doing?
Speaker 18 (52:06):
You know?
Speaker 11 (52:07):
And we have to set our intention and be diligent
in that.
Speaker 19 (52:11):
Ye, do we have any excuting questions?
Speaker 1 (52:23):
That's pretty powerful stuff. Oh boy, we need it definitely
more than an hour today, And unfortunately we're coming up
to the close of the show. But I'll leave you
with one last powerful excerpt from doctor Brandy Cross. Doctor
Cross is a scientist, researcher, an advocate whose work explores
(52:47):
cannabis through the lens of health, history, and equity. Her
words serve if it just drives it all home. It
serves as a crucial reminder that cannabis legalization alone is
not enough to undo the racist legacy cy of prohibition.
So let's let's listen as she really brings the critical
(53:11):
point home club.
Speaker 16 (53:13):
We are very aware of the social equity program? Why
is it so important?
Speaker 20 (53:18):
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 choked on nation, although I'm registered as dinner or
nava home. In our communities, we are up against a
(53:38):
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
(54:00):
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 relea sick. And the same with black
grandma's too. They do it too. They hide it because
all they know is you could go to jail, and
even if they believe in the medicinal powers, it's like,
well it might heal you, but you might die. So
(54:20):
you know, it's his 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 16 (54:39):
They actually remove their teeth. So these things.
Speaker 20 (54:42):
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 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 up your.
Speaker 16 (55:02):
Indigenous federal rights for this license.
Speaker 20 (55:04):
Why would I give up federal indigenous rights to have
a rokie dokey license that I'm paying ten thousand and
up a year to have when 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
(55:25):
of money without oppressing someone else.
Speaker 16 (55:28):
So I have a lot of issues with the way Prop.
Speaker 20 (55:30):
Sixty five was written, because sorry sixty four. Prop two
fifteen could have been cleaned up a lot better. 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,
(55:52):
we're gonna grow twenty plants, we're gonna split them between us,
and then we're gonna have this medicine for a year.
Speaker 16 (55:57):
So there's a lot of problematic things.
Speaker 20 (55:58):
So the social equ 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
truly sick, because being sick costs a lot of money.
If everyone wants to have capitalism, which I personally don't,
but if we're going to live in capitalism, everything costs money,
(56:19):
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 16 (56:29):
That's just my opinion. So it's changed a lot.
Speaker 20 (56:32):
Now I see people getting into this industry 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 and preserving those boundaries and those
(56:57):
limits around at least metal cannabis.
Speaker 16 (57:01):
We're gonna lose the health benefits forever.
Speaker 1 (57:10):
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
(57:33):
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,
(57:56):
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
(58:21):
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
(58:45):
responsibility to drive meaningful change obviously can't fall on legislation alone.
There's a lot of corporations can do. Corporations, investors, and
established cannabis businesses. They've got to step up and commit
social equity not just as a talking point but as
an integral part of their business models. I'd love to
(59:08):
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 would be
(59:28):
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 equity into
(59:50):
your life. Your curiosity and commitment to just say no
are what drives these important discussions, conversations that have the
power to reshape how the world sees green. But it
starts from the bottom up. If you know, all politics
are local, and that is true now more than ever. So,
if you've enjoyed today's episode,
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 Calibre.
Is broadcasting on KCAA Radio ten fifty AM one O
six point five FM, the station that leaves no listener behind. Today,
(00:21):
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 industry is thriving, the
communities that have suffered the most from prohibition continue to
(00:43):
be largely excluded from its opportunities. The War on drugs
disproportionately targeted black and brown communities, tearing apart families and
filling prisons with nonviolent offenders. Now, as legalization sweeps the country,
those same communities are being left behind. This isn't just
(01:04):
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 (01:21):
It sounds like there's privilege or racism involved in the
marijuana industry. I'm still waiting on my is in a
mule right now, and I'm gonna put dubs on my mule.
Speaker 3 (01:29):
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 Boddy in industry.
Speaker 4 (01:37):
What you really need to do is go back in
the thirties the African Americans.
Speaker 5 (01:43):
They couldn't They were basically.
Speaker 6 (01:46):
Users, and they basically responded the worst of those drugs
is because their character making the wrong.
Speaker 7 (01:56):
Should as they're bringing drugs, they're bringing crime.
Speaker 8 (02:00):
There's still a lot of people incarcerated.
Speaker 1 (02:04):
There's still a lot of people that need help.
Speaker 9 (02:05):
My company as who are going public becau aside.
Speaker 2 (02:08):
Twenty million dollars to Hope for.
Speaker 10 (02:11):
Equities Movement Supernova Woman as an organization that sets forth
to help women of color become stakeholders in the cannabis space.
Speaker 11 (02:19):
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 (02:42):
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. But truly inclusive industry benefits everyone, me, you, consumers, businesses,
(03:04):
in your society as a whole. Today, 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,
(03:28):
the failures of current equity programs, 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
(03:49):
in cannabis connects to justice in 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 (04:12):
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.
Speaker 12 (04:24):
Each and every years.
Speaker 13 (04:43):
I can see so much.
Speaker 14 (04:47):
Young, I'm a betify who has got to be gone,
taking me a while to get it.
Speaker 15 (05:05):
Had to live and cry, to appreciate life and what
you give his words, when you hold a knee, when
you hold me so close, someone better and under your skin.
Want to leave the mife so that I can be
sure that you remember.
Speaker 1 (05:20):
Wise man, welcome back. Before we dive into today's conversation,
it's important to understand why social equity in cannabis isn't
just a buzzword. Why it's a necessity. Legalization in and
of itself, it does not guarantee diversity, access or inclusion
(05:42):
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 surrounding cannabis today,
we have to look back at how prohibition was built
on a foundation of racism and fear mongering. So I
(06:03):
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. Look up Harry Anslinger nineteen
(06:24):
thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act and really understand what the
rationale was behind the prohibition. Really understand that prior to
the nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act, marijuana was used.
Speaker 8 (06:40):
It dates back to the Bible. It was used as
an anti.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Inflammatory for pain relief for the pain associated with the childbirths.
So understand the history, and then you have to read
if you only read one thing about it, Jack Herreer's
The Emperor Wears No Clothes.
Speaker 8 (06:59):
Many able will tell you that that's what changed.
Speaker 10 (07:02):
Thirty is the misinformation campaign was started in the nineteen thirties.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
America's public enemy Number one is drug abuse.
Speaker 10 (07:10):
Just say no, an unwinnable war fueled by lives fought
against the counterculture and married to racism.
Speaker 16 (07:19):
But the times they are changing.
Speaker 1 (07:21):
Recreational marijuana now legal in New York. 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,
(07:44):
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 were but the cultural practice of smoking marijuana
to the United States. Instead of embracing this new use
(08:08):
and 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. Antslinger, the architect of
the nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tacks Act, pushed the unfounded
(08:28):
idea that 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
(08:52):
of cannabis, he ensured that the drug and the fear
surrounding it was associated with Mexican immigrantrants. 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
(09:17):
times 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
(09:38):
classified cannabis as 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
(10:02):
a felony. If you become a fellon, you can't vote.
So the nineteen eighties brought Reagan's War on drugs, which
escalate at mass incarceration, further devastating communities of color. Harsh
sentencing laws and mandatory minimums ensued that black and Latino
(10:24):
individuals face disproportionately severe 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
(10:45):
sweeps across the country, 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 Yuvette 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
(11:09):
act a consultant, 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 firmyvat McDowell Consulting, she helps shape
(11:31):
policy and 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.
Here we go.
Speaker 3 (11:46):
Most people are familiar with the War on drugs. That's
how social Equity came about. What statistics have shown and
data 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 and
(12:09):
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,
(12:30):
housing benefits. You have an arrest record, it's gonna go
against You.
Speaker 8 (12:36):
Can't even vote.
Speaker 3 (12:39):
That's 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 from, and he introduced what's called
(13:02):
the Social Equity Build.
Speaker 13 (13:05):
What that does it.
Speaker 3 (13:06):
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
this space. But if you have been convicted many times,
(13:28):
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
them an opportunity to come in, to be able to
(13:48):
build some legacy and hopefully pass it.
Speaker 13 (13:52):
Down to their family. So that was the introduction of social.
Speaker 8 (13:56):
Equity, and that made.
Speaker 1 (14:00):
Yes the theory in reality, in real what upp what up?
Speaker 3 (14:08):
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 a tool, state, So where are
(14:30):
the tools you said you were going to give monies
in order to help?
Speaker 13 (14:35):
Where is the money going? Where has it gone? And
I'll give you.
Speaker 3 (14:39):
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. Youth programming. I'm all
for youth. I worked in youth programs. They were given
(14:59):
youth program 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 to generate revenue? What
are the youth programs doing to generate revenue?
Speaker 13 (15:22):
Social equities generating revenue?
Speaker 8 (15:24):
It's backwards, it's backwards.
Speaker 1 (15:27):
And what's really maddening is those enforcement dollars.
Speaker 8 (15:32):
I don't think they're enforcing. I mean, that's what I
hear enforcing.
Speaker 1 (15:38):
I everywhere there's four, at least four I see elicit
dispensaries to everyone legal one walking down a way everywhere.
Speaker 8 (15:51):
Where are the enforcement dollars going?
Speaker 3 (15:54):
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
(16:14):
happening when they're making themselves so readily available for you
law enforcement.
Speaker 1 (16:21):
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. Yeah, so something that was
supposed to be good, it's failing.
Speaker 8 (16:44):
It's failing.
Speaker 3 (16:44):
You know, the state, in my opinion, has failed social equity.
Speaker 8 (16:49):
Now that's in California.
Speaker 1 (16:50):
Are there any states that got it right?
Speaker 13 (16:54):
I can't think of any.
Speaker 8 (16:56):
I know, I know I can't either.
Speaker 13 (16:59):
California leads the way.
Speaker 3 (17:03):
But if California's leading the way, then I'm sorry, everyone's
gonna fail.
Speaker 8 (17:08):
Sheep off a cliff.
Speaker 1 (17:09):
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 moderated with a very very lively panel, and one
of just one of the many perks of being a
member of the NCIA is.
Speaker 8 (17:33):
These subject matter experts.
Speaker 1 (17:34):
It's a place for these great minds to come together
and talk about conversations.
Speaker 8 (17:44):
Cannabis is prohibition.
Speaker 1 (17:46):
Its origins were based in racism, going back to the
nineteen thirty seven Marijuana Tax Act. Yes, and you go
through the seventies with Nixon and then the failed War
on drugs, which a lot of people don't understand, but
you've got to get this, guys.
Speaker 8 (18:00):
It was a war in human rights and on science.
Speaker 1 (18:03):
Yes, and this is a medisine 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 3 (18:19):
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
(18:40):
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.
Speaker 13 (19:01):
What to do.
Speaker 3 (19:02):
How are they supposed to get this stuff? If you're
not going to provide.
Speaker 13 (19:07):
Technical assistance to really help them.
Speaker 3 (19:10):
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 (19:21):
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 got to understand the inequity
and the failed war on drugs. Yes, you've got to
understand what's at stake here.
Speaker 13 (19:40):
That's right, that's right. You have to understand it, and
that requires education.
Speaker 8 (19:45):
It requires education.
Speaker 1 (19:47):
And the reason you need to understand it is because
we need your voice.
Speaker 8 (19:50):
Yes, and you spoke about that. Can you speak a
little bit about that? Because I've been.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
Involved with NCIA for a lot of years, and I
had the privilege to go to the capital and lobby
for four years.
Speaker 13 (20:05):
And I'll tell you when you walk.
Speaker 3 (20:07):
Into those offices of some of the legislators and you
talk with their staff, because most times you're meeting with staff,
you're not meeting with senators or from members.
Speaker 13 (20:20):
From the House.
Speaker 1 (20:21):
But if they're constituents, if they're we're rattling their cages exactly.
Speaker 3 (20:28):
That's why I say all politics is local, and you
have to start on the local level.
Speaker 13 (20:35):
Get to know your political.
Speaker 3 (20:39):
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 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 They don't do that. You have
(21:02):
to get to know them first here and then.
Speaker 13 (21:05):
Follow them as they elevate.
Speaker 3 (21:08):
And as you do that, you provided education to them,
so they now can take a look at the taxes,
how much in taxes are being collected, Where are those
taxes going?
Speaker 1 (21:19):
And then you said there's no money for the social
aquity or the ECAR. But I heard in California right
there's a potential in July it'll be a forty percent tax.
Speaker 12 (21:31):
That's what I was told.
Speaker 13 (21:34):
I'm not an operator, but from operators that I.
Speaker 3 (21:38):
Do talk to and deal with, they are hurting and
businesses are shutting down every day businesses.
Speaker 8 (21:46):
Who are trying to do it legally.
Speaker 1 (21:49):
Yes, they're not surviving legalization, that's right, and that leaves
the consumer vulnerable to the very dangers that these tax
dollars are supposed to be going to agencies to protect
those That's wrong.
Speaker 8 (22:03):
And it's not marijuana.
Speaker 1 (22:05):
It's bad now, that's right, it's unregulated.
Speaker 3 (22:10):
Just choose 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
(22:33):
the most highly regulated industry around. The taxes are crazy
and crazy.
Speaker 8 (22:41):
Not only lower them, but proportion them ye toward.
Speaker 1 (22:46):
Things that make it investment in the in the community
and the people in the future, businesses in the You know,
local politics. But what I what kills me about does
all me well fills my energy buckets about cannabis is
it gets us talking about what you're saying, all politics
(23:07):
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 your TikTok no offense. But it's not
(23:27):
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 3 (23:44):
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 ac auntable for the tax dollars that
they're spending.
Speaker 13 (24:03):
Where are they going?
Speaker 3 (24:04):
It gives us that chance to really educate people, not
just from the political spectrum, but even community.
Speaker 1 (24:12):
Wise, 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 13 (24:21):
Exactly?
Speaker 3 (24:22):
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.
Speaker 13 (24:34):
And once you're educated, you.
Speaker 3 (24:36):
Have a much better understanding of what you are talking about.
Speaker 1 (24:41):
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 money.
Speaker 8 (25:00):
They're out of this business in sixty eight months.
Speaker 1 (25:03):
It's like see, yeah, they're like, yeah, this is not
a green rush, it's a it's a revolution.
Speaker 8 (25:09):
It's a green revolution.
Speaker 1 (25:10):
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 and justus unimproving their lives.
Speaker 3 (25:26):
Well, if you think about it, the indigenous population use
cannabis medicinally for I mean centuries, centuries.
Speaker 1 (25:36):
Would'd be great if Congress got in a big circle
past the piece place.
Speaker 3 (25:41):
I would love to be a part of that table
to see that happen.
Speaker 1 (25:45):
I would invest in the strain that comes certain one
of them, yes, kind of balances.
Speaker 8 (25:51):
I'm not gonna name names, but that would.
Speaker 3 (25:53):
Be amazing to see those who have been so anti
cannabis but don't know any.
Speaker 8 (26:00):
That's the thing, it's it's they're misinformed. Yes, guys, this
has been it's been in the shadows for.
Speaker 1 (26:08):
Eight decades nineteen thirty seven, marijuana tag sac.
Speaker 8 (26:12):
People were doing it. There'd be a little plant in
the closet with the light that your mother would.
Speaker 1 (26:17):
Say, donpen air there, but she going there when you
were sick as a kid.
Speaker 8 (26:21):
And what's in there? This has been in the shadows.
Speaker 1 (26:25):
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.
Speaker 8 (26:47):
And you know the war on drugs. Just say no
and no.
Speaker 1 (26:51):
But my radio show is just say no with a
K and ow hold on, say no, hey and ow.
You have to know before you jump to o's or
why yes, And we're not telling you to go in
either direction. And your value system is your value system,
(27:13):
but do it based on.
Speaker 8 (27:16):
Information informed.
Speaker 3 (27:18):
Cannabis use, whether you consume or not, that's on you.
Speaker 1 (27:23):
And how and whether it's responsibly exactly same with alcohol,
exactly the same thing with food, anything anything responsible use.
Speaker 3 (27:34):
We don't want our kids out consuming no we do
not want that. We know that, But how do we
educate our kids if we ourselves are not educated?
Speaker 1 (27:46):
That's right, And and and you're not even able to
have an open conversation with them exactly.
Speaker 13 (27:52):
Our kids got to meet.
Speaker 1 (27:54):
Them where they are exactly and talk to them about it.
Speaker 8 (27:57):
And with.
Speaker 1 (28:00):
De scheduling, we can remove barriers to research to really
find out what is the impact on brains under twenty
one years old.
Speaker 8 (28:07):
But we know what the impact of cigarettes are.
Speaker 13 (28:09):
That's right, That's right. It's quite interesting to me.
Speaker 3 (28:14):
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 Whole Miss
about cannabis as the impact.
Speaker 13 (28:32):
I keep asking that question, who courts you have? Federal government?
Speaker 3 (28:37):
You've paid Old Miss millions of dollars to grow and study.
Speaker 8 (28:44):
Now, this might be a conspiracy theory.
Speaker 1 (28:46):
I have not fact checked this, but some people speculate
it's because they did that to come up with evidence
of negative effects.
Speaker 8 (28:57):
And they didn't find any.
Speaker 7 (29:00):
So not releasing anything now, isn't that that would be
so wasteful to study something to try to find what's
wrong with it.
Speaker 1 (29:11):
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 Industry Association.
Speaker 8 (29:28):
How long have you been a member?
Speaker 13 (29:29):
Oh? My goodness, has it been ten years?
Speaker 8 (29:33):
Okay, so a lot's changed since then.
Speaker 13 (29:36):
A lot has changed a lot.
Speaker 1 (29:38):
And I mean, let's just fantasize and then we could
be realistic.
Speaker 8 (29:44):
But what we're what is where do you hope to.
Speaker 1 (29:47):
See the impact that the National Cannabis Industry Association could
make over over the next decade.
Speaker 13 (29:55):
I would say de scheduling, Oh, that would be great.
That is one of the first things that need to happen.
Speaker 3 (30:02):
Safe banking needs to be a priority two to ADYE
needs to be I mean 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 carried business for the most part. People are still
(30:26):
being robbed, people are being murdered.
Speaker 1 (30:29):
Which just reinforces the stigma and the negative stereotypes. Yes,
it just reinforces it. I was 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 on guard the the you know, it's it. Really,
(30:52):
that's what they have to have though, Uh yeah, do
we have safe banking?
Speaker 8 (30:57):
Sure?
Speaker 13 (30:57):
Sure banking?
Speaker 3 (30:58):
And was cannabis businesses not be allowed to write off?
Speaker 1 (31:04):
That's two ade 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 at in
California at a forty percent tax come July, possibly their
(31:25):
margins 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 13 (31:38):
You can, you cannot.
Speaker 1 (31:40):
And then as a social equity person, just someone who
gets a license, they're giving you like happy mail money.
Speaker 13 (31:47):
Yeah, I mean that's what it's.
Speaker 8 (31:51):
Here.
Speaker 1 (31:51):
Here you get a dispensary and here here here's money
that'll get you a happy mail.
Speaker 8 (31:55):
Go set it up and run it.
Speaker 13 (31:57):
Let's see how long it lasts.
Speaker 1 (31:59):
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.
Speaker 8 (32:16):
I want to talk to you. I want to talk
to everybody.
Speaker 1 (32:18):
I don't blame you, you don't 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.
Speaker 8 (32:27):
Let's really understand it, and.
Speaker 1 (32:29):
Let's figure out sensible rules and regulations that will benefit
everyone and lift everyone in communities up, especially the communities
that were I mean on the War on drugs, the
communities that were destroyed.
Speaker 13 (32:47):
Yes, and destroyed is absolutely correct.
Speaker 8 (32:51):
And I you know, Let's.
Speaker 1 (32:59):
Canvas and 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. Social equity programs
were designed to level the playing field, given black and
(33:19):
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 had trying to figure it out. But let's
start with Los Angeles. After speaking with her, I realized
(33:42):
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 bypass drug policies,
at least until this past January twenty twenty five. They
brought an the definition of impacted communities and expanded opportunities
(34:03):
for equity ownership. But as we've seen these policies, we
have to ask are they working, And we know the answer.
Speaker 8 (34:11):
They're not.
Speaker 1 (34:12):
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
(34:35):
are benefiting political insiders rather than the communities these programers.
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 licensed cannabis
(34:58):
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
(35:21):
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
(35:45):
businesses struggle to compete against the listed market that doesn't
have to follow the same rules or pay taxes. So
what's the solution. How do we fix a system that,
despite good intentions, it's still failing black and brown entrepreneurs.
That's exactly what our next panel discussion is about. Shortly
(36:08):
after cannabis legalization in California, UCLA's Canna Club. Yep, UCLA
was one of the first colleges to institute a cannon 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
(36:32):
conversation on being Black in Cannabis. It was moderated by
Danielle Van Luerberg from Canna Safe, 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. The panel
(36:55):
included Whitney Baby Whitney, the visionary behind Josephine and Billie's,
one of Eli'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 Abilities,
you have to go. It's in Los Angeles, Josephine and
(37:16):
Billies and be sure 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' tarvor he joined, and he's a former football player
(37:39):
turned media entrepreneur and advocate, 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 barriers in both the
culinary and cannabis worlds. Each of them has first hand
(38:00):
experience with the barriers that I was discussing with 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 here what
still needs to change and how we might be able
(38:25):
to move forward.
Speaker 9 (38:31):
I love it and what can I do to be
solectively minded? What would I be mindful of?
Speaker 16 (38:38):
That's an awesome question. That's an awesome question.
Speaker 2 (38:41):
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 rug swept up from underneath us. To just keep
that in mind, to be an ally, if you have
UH any doubt or any question if I W is
(39:03):
W it's what I'm saying or what I'm doing insensitive insensitive?
Speaker 9 (39:07):
Ask that's it. It's it's it's not m it's not
it's no rocket science to it.
Speaker 2 (39:13):
Just ask, right, don't assume that somebody, oh, yeah, it's
not a big deal.
Speaker 9 (39:17):
I would deal with it differently. Just ask bruh, like
it is? It is it?
Speaker 2 (39:21):
It's nothing wrong with being white at all. 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? I?
Speaker 9 (39:42):
Is it okay for me to do this? It okay
for me say this?
Speaker 2 (39:45):
I let my white friends know that, and it's it's okay.
It's it doesn't have to be in a brass situation.
Speaker 9 (39:50):
Just ask questions.
Speaker 10 (39:50):
It's all good 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 (40:06):
On a larger scale.
Speaker 10 (40:07):
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
(40:29):
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 home companies, but you've got black
Star on the on the shelf, or you've.
Speaker 1 (40:43):
Got Andrew's Edibles on the shelf.
Speaker 10 (40:45):
Being able to include those companies that are being fronted
by people of color. So there is some you know,
more equity in there. I think one of the things
that kind of frustrates people of color becomes the idea
that you know, Drome in jail for selling cannabis and
Chad just open a dispensary on this corner. This idea
(41:05):
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 those power levels, that you've got
participation across the board, that's how you become a good ally.
Speaker 16 (41:17):
And there are good allies in the space.
Speaker 10 (41:19):
They are out there and they definitely exist. So as
long as you keep your eyes open for that, give
me a good position.
Speaker 6 (41:25):
And I would just you know, pig yourbag 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 where 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 16 (41:47):
Exactly everything what they said.
Speaker 11 (41:49):
And please, please please continue to be as courageous and
brief in asking those questions and be able open.
Speaker 17 (42:03):
Being a social equity applicant operator, Could you tell us
a little about the application process and if the program
needs any refining.
Speaker 4 (42:12):
Oh, the the first question is really easy that the
application process is thanks due to me getting raided and
you know, losing my livelihood in twenty thirteen.
Speaker 18 (42:24):
Uh, that's the price I paid to be a social
secret candidate today. That was the biggest piece of this,
you know, I it was a happened since and and
thank goodness, the city of la uh and and and
and the people that run the city had found it,
you know, uh, their responsibility to ensure that a social
equity program was created, you know.
Speaker 8 (42:41):
Due to the warm reds and everything else.
Speaker 18 (42:43):
The the second part of that, well, what was that again?
Speaker 1 (42:45):
Though?
Speaker 19 (42:46):
Does the program need refining?
Speaker 18 (42:47):
Ooh yeah, I said, are you sure you wanna asks
me that I'm not recorded on TV?
Speaker 1 (42:51):
I was, so, it's uh so the social herrecy program.
Speaker 18 (42:55):
I was, uh, you know, Verver Grant and the people
that were instrumental and putting the social equity and play
had every great intention in mind. The reality of it
is realizing those intentions is totally different than creating them
and creating a program. I think what the socio Ecuity
program has done was you've given someone an opportunity to
(43:18):
make it through an application process. But then when they
make it through an application process. They don't have the knowledge,
they don't have the funding, they don't 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 sociocuity candidate.
(43:38):
You're target to a man that I graduated from undergrad
went and worked for one of the best consulting companies
in the world, then consulting for over five years, then
went to the top five NBA.
Speaker 8 (43:50):
After getting my MBA, I came out and did mergers
and acquisitions and strategy consulting.
Speaker 18 (43:54):
I sat with CEOs and helped them understand what they
needed to do.
Speaker 9 (43:58):
I can badly do this shit. So you know, excuse my.
Speaker 18 (44:01):
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. But you know, it's a daunting task
and I think it's up here battle.
Speaker 8 (44:17):
That's why black stars here.
Speaker 18 (44:18):
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 in two years and hopefully we can
help progress that.
Speaker 17 (44:36):
Yeah, let's let's let the other panelists speak about how
they feel like social equity has impacted the city of
La Recall a quick there.
Speaker 19 (44:45):
Topic.
Speaker 2 (44:46):
Yeah, absolutely actually helped my company as we little go
on public We set aside twenty million dollars to social
equity movements. The two biggest issues that I see. Number
one just affirmative action here. So like Brian was saying,
like sixty years of plight, you know for black and.
Speaker 9 (45:06):
Brown operators, black and brown families.
Speaker 2 (45:11):
We have at least three generations of black brown men
and women that have been incarcerated and killed, and you
literally cannot say this.
Speaker 9 (45:19):
Law is to help black and brown people. Great idea
for execution.
Speaker 2 (45:27):
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 France. San France different than Sacramento. You got
(45:50):
different people with different needs, and it.
Speaker 9 (45:54):
Just doesn't look good at all, and it's tough. So
it's really really is. It's an issue that's near and
dear to my heart.
Speaker 2 (46:06):
But just being realistic about it, I've got a lot
of doubts about the program and my solution. I mean,
in in my head, in my heart, I've pushed the
big companies, like I did, you know, push my company
to work with the people. You gotta push the corporations
to do it because they have the money. This is
(46:26):
a capitalist society. That's what it comes back down to.
Like Brian said, there's there's not a lot of incentive
in California for these big companies to incubate these folks.
Speaker 9 (46:36):
There's not a lot of incentive for these big corporations
to come and help with need to help. Andrea, like,
hopefully we fall into those situations. Sometimes we do.
Speaker 2 (46:43):
Sometimes we get lucky, sometimes we work hard and get discovered.
But until there's that incentive for those corporations to do that,
Like how many times have uh as the government actually
come through and follow through with the promises that they've given.
Speaker 16 (46:58):
Us waiting for my forty.
Speaker 9 (47:00):
Acres of the situation, and.
Speaker 2 (47:06):
I don't know, I mean cautiously optimistic about it, but
I'm not going to hold my breath.
Speaker 17 (47:12):
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 19 (47:29):
Whitney, I would love to hear what.
Speaker 9 (47:31):
You have to add.
Speaker 10 (47:32):
Besides running Apothecary, I'm also a board member for Supernova Women.
Supernova Women is an organization that sets forth to help
women of color become stakeholders.
Speaker 16 (47:43):
In the cannabis space.
Speaker 10 (47:44):
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 the issues that have come
into play since equity has been in place. And so
two of the things that we we've been talking about
are a, you know, taxes. Right now, we're in a
(48:07):
situation where cannabis is heavily taxed, heavily taxed. We're talking
thirty five percent, forty percent taxes. Where's that tax money going?
Speaker 9 (48:15):
Of course, because yeah, it's just.
Speaker 16 (48:19):
Don't get them to started.
Speaker 10 (48:21):
So we've got all this tax money that is really
not coming back to the community at hand. We believe
that those taxes need to be reduced, but even more so,
we believe that a lot of that tax money could
also be used to be able to fund the black
and brown businesses that they're giving people the you know,
opportunity to have licenses for, but now it cannot afford
what it takes to run them. So there's a great
(48:43):
opportunity for them to be able to funnel money back
or to at least do business loans to these organizations
who cannot be cause we can't get a regular business loan,
you know. So you're sitting here making a ton of
profit off the backs of these communities that have been
decimated for years.
Speaker 16 (48:57):
How about you throw some of that money back.
Speaker 10 (49:00):
The other side of that becomes the idea of social
equity came from the idea that we've got these communities
of 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 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
(49:22):
all those things you went through, you can get this
you know, lucky shot at maybe getting a license.
Speaker 9 (49:27):
Well what if I don't want to own a canvas business?
Speaker 10 (49:30):
What then you still have these communities that had to
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,
(49:53):
and that can be done through the social I mean
through our equity program. You know, when 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 (50:10):
That's just can't be the plan.
Speaker 10 (50:13):
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 both of those programs
are starting to get closed. 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 so we need to go back to
(50:34):
the base. That's what things Super and Over is doing
right now, is going back. You know, let's look at
this program, Oakland. This stuff is not working. 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.
Speaker 16 (50:50):
That we started.
Speaker 19 (50:53):
Thank you. That's really great insight.
Speaker 17 (50:55):
Oh my gosh, Andrea, did you have something.
Speaker 8 (50:58):
To add to this.
Speaker 11 (50:59):
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.
Speaker 9 (51:19):
Part of the change.
Speaker 11 (51:21):
And you know, for me that's important not only in
my parturing, but also in my practice. 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,
(51:42):
here's what we're gonna do, you know, and not wait,
you know, not hold my breath for someone.
Speaker 9 (51:48):
Because that's gonna evolve.
Speaker 11 (51:49):
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 gonna change, because we are advocating.
That's gonna change because of super noble woman. That's gonna
you know. So but until then, what are we doing?
Speaker 18 (52:06):
You know?
Speaker 11 (52:07):
And we have to set our intention and be diligent
in that.
Speaker 19 (52:11):
Ye, do we have any excuting questions?
Speaker 1 (52:23):
That's pretty powerful stuff. Oh boy, we need it definitely
more than an hour today, And unfortunately we're coming up
to the close of the show. But I'll leave you
with one last powerful excerpt from doctor Brandy Cross. Doctor
Cross is a scientist, researcher, an advocate whose work explores
(52:47):
cannabis through the lens of health, history, and equity. Her
words serve if it just drives it all home. It
serves as a crucial reminder that cannabis legalization alone is
not enough to undo the racist legacy cy of prohibition.
So let's let's listen as she really brings the critical
(53:11):
point home club.
Speaker 16 (53:13):
We are very aware of the social equity program? Why
is it so important?
Speaker 20 (53:18):
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 choked on nation, although I'm registered as dinner or
nava home. In our communities, we are up against a
(53:38):
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
(54:00):
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 relea sick. And the same with black
grandma's too. They do it too. They hide it because
all they know is you could go to jail, and
even if they believe in the medicinal powers, it's like,
well it might heal you, but you might die. So
(54:20):
you know, it's his 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 16 (54:39):
They actually remove their teeth. So these things.
Speaker 20 (54:42):
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 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 up your.
Speaker 16 (55:02):
Indigenous federal rights for this license.
Speaker 20 (55:04):
Why would I give up federal indigenous rights to have
a rokie dokey license that I'm paying ten thousand and
up a year to have when 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
(55:25):
of money without oppressing someone else.
Speaker 16 (55:28):
So I have a lot of issues with the way Prop.
Speaker 20 (55:30):
Sixty five was written, because sorry sixty four. Prop two
fifteen could have been cleaned up a lot better. 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,
(55:52):
we're gonna grow twenty plants, we're gonna split them between us,
and then we're gonna have this medicine for a year.
Speaker 16 (55:57):
So there's a lot of problematic things.
Speaker 20 (55:58):
So the social equ 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
truly sick, because being sick costs a lot of money.
If everyone wants to have capitalism, which I personally don't,
but if we're going to live in capitalism, everything costs money,
(56:19):
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 16 (56:29):
That's just my opinion. So it's changed a lot.
Speaker 20 (56:32):
Now I see people getting into this industry 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 and preserving those boundaries and those
(56:57):
limits around at least metal cannabis.
Speaker 16 (57:01):
We're gonna lose the health benefits forever.
Speaker 1 (57:10):
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
(57:33):
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,
(57:56):
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
(58:21):
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
(58:45):
responsibility to drive meaningful change obviously can't fall on legislation alone.
There's a lot of corporations can do. Corporations, investors, and
established cannabis businesses. They've got to step up and commit
social equity not just as a talking point but as
an integral part of their business models. I'd love to
(59:08):
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 would be
(59:28):
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 equity into
(59:50):
your life. Your curiosity and commitment to just say no
are what drives these important discussions, conversations that have the
power to reshape how the world sees green. But it
starts from the bottom up. If you know, all politics
are local, and that is true now more than ever. So,
if you've enjoyed today's episode,
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