Why Are Only 4 Percent of Cannabis Businesses Owned By African Americans?
In the fight to legalize cannabis, one of the most compelling arguments has been the social justice argument–that legalizing cannabis will stop the disproportionate enforcement of cannabis laws on the on the African-American community. Although 16 percent of African Americans reportedly use cannabis, compared to approximately 14 percent of whites, they are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis-related crimes than their white counterparts, according to The Brookings Institution.
But while this fact has been used as a cudgel to beat back the tide of prohibition, it has also laid bare a rank hypocrisy that permeates throughout the industry: the complete lack of African-American entrepreneurs.
According to Marijuana Business Daily, approximately 81 percent of cannabis business owners or founders are white, while only 4 percent are African American. This begs the questions: Why are there so few African Americans in the cannabis space? What is it that’s keeping them out of the industry, and how can they succeed ever in this changing environment?
SOURCE ⇒ GREENENTREPRENEUR
