Minority Cannabis Business Association Publishes National Cannabis Equity Report
The Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) is taking the first step on a journey to usher in a new era of social equity with the release of the National Cannabis Equity Report and Equity Map with support from The Arcview Group, and in association with Weedmaps and Parallel.
The report and map provides critical data from social equity programs, as well as other policies impacting equity in medical and adult-use markets. The Equity Map is a dynamic digital tool for advocates, lawmakers, and stakeholders to gather and track policies that will provide an understanding and analysis of the numerous barriers to entry for minority operators on a state and municipal level. As new states and policies come online, the report and map will be continuously updated to reflect the current standing of social equity in the country.
“We created the Equity Report and Map to empower advocates and industry with data and tools to address barriers to entry and create real equity in the cannabis industry,” said Amber Littlejohn, MCBA executive director. “Through the collected data, we can now take a closer look at what is being done, and where there is room for improvement to advance social equity efforts.”
The report highlights the findings of 41 policy points from several states and can be explored in the Equity Map. Among those highlights, MCBA identified seven initial conclusions that can be used to reexamine state social equity programs which include the use of non-race criteria in social equity qualifications, timely funding, license caps, and ownership bans for individuals with past cannabis convictions.
“For years, policymakers have been haphazardly throwing social equity provisions against the wall to see what sticks, albeit with good intentions,” said David Abernathy, principal-Arcview Consulting and MCBA board member. “With this seminal work, we can finally start to account for what’s worked and what hasn’t and use that knowledge to create more well-crafted and effective social equity provisions to make the shifts that are essential as we move forward.”
As an early supporter of the report and its findings, Parallel, one of the largest privately held multi-state cannabis companies, is eager to address the harms of cannabis prohibition and create a more diverse cannabis industry.
“We applaud MCBA for commissioning this report and for highlighting this important industry issue. At Parallel, we understand the responsibility companies like ours have with our position and expertise in the industry to use cannabis as a tool for restorative justice and economic empowerment – especially to those who have been most impacted by this issue,” said James Jackson, senior director for social equity at Parallel. “We are proud to provide our full support of MCBA’s report and toolkit and we pledge to commit our resources to help advocate for the fundamental changes the report highlights, as necessary for the cannabis industry to become truly equitable and sustainable moving forward.”
Access the National Cannabis Equity Report and interactive Equity Map by visiting: http://nationalcannabisequityreport.com
