Black cannabis business executives suggest solutions to address racism and create a more inclusive industry

What can be done to address racism, particularly among companies and executives that want to move toward an inclusive industry and supply chain?

Interesting you brought up supply chain, because in Colorado, supply chain and supplier diversity are the only way we’re going to see any diversity.

The industry is maxed out in Colorado.

We have maximum numbers of dispensaries and grow facilities, with little room for a lot more growth.

So the growth is going to have to be in things like:

• What does your C-suite look like?
• Do you have an equitable C-suite? Equitable doesn’t mean one black person or one minority woman.
• How does your supply chain look? Where do you get your paper products? Who does your packaging? Who’s your graphic designer? What marketing firm do you use?

There are definitely Black and brown companies that can fulfill all of those needs.

But the bigger piece is going to have to be the following: Since the city and the state control licensing, they’re going to have to make a concerted effort to make sure that all new licenses go to people of color.

Now, that is absolutely going to make a lot of people upset and uncomfortable, because they’re going to feel like they’re being penalized for being white and male.

But my response to that would be, “Look how many people were penalized for being Black at the beginning of this.”

No matter how we do this, there are going to be hurt feelings and hurt egos, and politicians are going to have to walk a very stringent line of not looking like they’re giving priority to one group over another.