As states continue to move away from the policies of prohibition, overall arrest rates are dropping but racial disparities remain. State cannabis programs also create significant business opportunities as the underground market transitions into a regulated, small business sector but unfortunately onerous capital requirements, restrictions on licensing for drug-felons, arbitrary license caps, and other factors have limited opportunities for people of color and other disadvantaged minorities from succeeding in new legal cannabis market.
NCIA supports an open market that allows any responsible entrepreneur to access opportunities in the cannabis industry. We have endorsed multiple pieces of federal legislation that seek to create a diverse, equitable, and inclusive industry, including the Marijuana Opportunity and Reinvestment (MORE) Act, the Marijuana Justice Act the Marijuana Freedom and Opportunity Act, the Realizing Equitable & Sustainable Participation in Emerging Cannabis Trades (RESPECT) Resolution, and the Cannabis Administration & Opportunity Act.
Further detail on NCIA’s position on social equity policies is available in our 2019 Policy Council publication: Increasing Equity In The Cannabis Industry: Six Achievable Goals For Policy Makers.
NCIA is leading the cannabis industry's unified and coordinated campaign to ensure our business sector is treated fairly and has the opportunity to reach its full potential. Now - more than ever - is the time to invest in your business and the future of the industry by becoming a member.
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