As Pennsylvania moves closer to legalizing recreational marijuana, Philadelphia entrepreneurs and advocates are seizing the opportunity to ensure social equity in the nascent industry. Black Cannabis Week is spearheading the movement, which launched in 2018 to educate Black and Latino communities about the benefits and opportunities in the cannabis sector.
What was originally focused on medical marijuana has evolved into an event discussing the possibility of adult-use cannabis legalization in Pennsylvania and demands for fair legislation and social justice reform.
“We want social justice and equitable legislation, which is something that hasn't been there in our medical marijuana program,” Sherron Perry Thomas, co-founder of Black Cannabis Week, told local NPR station WHYY. The event aims to support local entrepreneurs, particularly those in communities that have been disproportionately impacted by past marijuana laws, and help them prepare for potential opportunities in the legalized adult-use market.
Empowering communities through education and advocacy
The week-long event will feature a variety of activities focused on making the cannabis industry more inclusive, including policy discussions, job fairs, a film festival, and even a fashion show. Organizer Crystal Bush emphasized that the format will be more interactive than traditional conferences, with events designed to engage and educate attendees in innovative ways.
The cannabis social equity movement goes beyond just creating new business opportunities. Organizers are also advocating for legal changes to help individuals with cannabis convictions who are often shut out of the industry. “We see this as a civil rights issue,” Perry Thomas explained, adding that the growth of the cannabis industry may be one of the last chances to bring justice and economic independence to communities harmed by the war on drugs.
Pennsylvania's adult-use market potential
If adult-use cannabis were legalized in Pennsylvania, it could generate $400 million to $1 billion in tax revenue for the state, according to estimates from the Pennsylvania Independent Fiscal Office. But advocates argue that without fair laws, much of this wealth will bypass communities of color that have been disproportionately affected by past cannabis criminalization. Black Cannabis Week organizers are working to stop this from happening, advocating for laws that support local minority-owned businesses and record expungement programs for past cannabis offenses.
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