Yet for people of color, positions at the very top of the booming business are all too often out of reach. The bi-partisan legislation co-sponsored by Illinois Senators Tammy Duckworth and Dick Durbin, among others, passed the House earlier this year and, barring the unforeseen, is poised to make it through the Senate this fall.
In a nutshell, the law would bar the federal government from penalizing lending institutions for providing banking services. Thereby, it will allow otherwise all-cash industry credit lines, checking accounts and for people of color the potential for ownership. Right now, only a small fraction of all cannabis-owned businesses in the U.S. are run by African Americans, Hispanics and Asians.
Phil Flynn, Senior Analyst at Price Futures Group and a business correspondent for Fox, says there has been a double standard when it comes to states selling cannabis and the government looking the other way.