But the legislation can only do so much without the creation of more pot business licenses at the state level.City and state officials say communities of color — especially Black populations — have faced major barriers entering the state's legal weed industry.
That's unacceptable after those communities were disproportionately harmed by decades of the war on drugs, including the criminalization of marijuana, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell said last week.Harrell signed three ordinances Sept. 19 aimed at improving equity in the cannabis industry.for cannabis businesses whose owners were significantly impacted by drug criminalization.
Pot business owners can qualify if they have lived in areas with a high rate of drug arrests, or if they or a family member were convicted of a past drug offense — and not necessarily just for cannabis.City officials are constrained by the limited number of cannabis business licenses made available by the Legislature and the Liquor and Cannabis Board .
Right now, the number of retail shop licenses is capped at 556 statewide, while the window to apply for growing and processing licenses closed nearly a decade ago. That means very few business owners will be able to take advantage of the city's new social equity policies, at least for now.
Who wrote the racist laws resulting in mostly white ownership? Name them 🙂