Thor Benson / Cannabis News Box Contributor

A piece of model legislation that was just released by the Minority Cannabis Business Association focuses on how to diversify the cannabis industry. It explains how communities of color have been most harmed by the prohibition of cannabis but members of those communities are often not included in the cannabis industry.

The document states that “communities that have been most harmed by cannabis prohibition are benefiting the least from the legal marijuana marketplace.” It also points out that “a legacy of racial and ethnic injustices, compounded by the disproportionate collateral consequences of 80 years of cannabis prohibition enforcement, now limits participation in the industry.”

Shanita Penny, president of the Minority Cannabis Business Association, told Cannabis News Box that more minorities are being hired as more states legalize, but there needs to be more equity in the industry.

“As more states legalize and jobs are created, we are seeing more minorities hired to work in the industry,” Penny said. “We need to see more representation from an ownership/investment perspective as well. We need to see minority inclusion in the way of community reinvestment and revitalization as well.”

Penny said certain prominent politicians, like Sen. Cory Booker (D-NJ), Rep. Barbara Lee (D-CA) and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D- NY), are paying attention to this issue and calling for reform, but there is still a lot of work to do to make those reforms happen.

“The industry must be united and put pressure on policymakers at every level,” Penny said. “We must work with them to create thoughtful policy that creates an equitable and accessible industry and hold them accountable for the campaign promises they make around cannabis legalization. It’s such a hot topic and polling so favorably that many are quick to say they support and don’t fully understand what’s needed from them as it relates to economics, social justice, and criminal justice reform.”

Having a criminal record related to cannabis use can make it difficult for people of color to start cannabis businesses, and people of color have been targeted most by the war on drugs, despite using cannabis at around the same levels as white Americans. Penny said it’s often harder for people of color to get access to capital to start a business, too.

Penny hopes this model legislation will get “into the hands of every advocate and policymaker in the country.” She said it’s important that the industry start taking this topic seriously as it continues to evolve.