Why Cannabis?

Why Cannabis?

Aniyah O. Howard

“We all have dreams. In order to make dreams come into reality, it takes an awful lot of determination, dedication, self-discipline, and effort. This quote was said by Jesse Owens, the world record-setting Olympic athlete. An athlete that pushed against odds and injustices to create change. Change is never something that just happens, it is a process sprinkled with passion and determination. When I was younger, I always wanted to create change in my community. I wanted to provide more for minority communities that cultivated the person I am and exposed me to a different perspective of the world. Learning about the injustices that cripples the progression of communities of color, like mines, pushed me to dive into action. Being in front of the fight for change was were I started. Advocating for education reform, marching against police brutality and incarceration injustices, and endorsing community engagement with legislation. With my passion for change and equity, I have focused my activism in new direction.

My passion for cannabis was stemmed from seeing the benefits of the natural remedy suppressing serious health conditions. I started my journey into this industry four years ago, after going through multiple journeys to find my passion. After the passing of my friend, I developed bad anxiety and started to consume marijuana to relax. It started off as a form of relaxation that blossomed into a passion that no one could understand. And when I say no one, I really mean no one. My mother was not fond of my smoking habits and really tried to get me to stop smoking because of the old-time rumor, “It’s a gateway drug”. Friends began to judge me for my use of marijuana stating that the use of weed was juvenile. No matter what was thrown at me, I had found my passion and needed to learn how to monetize it for a living and educate others. I did not care what I had to do, I wanted to change the perception of marijuana and use my life as genuine, legitimate example.

So, I pushed myself. I was unemployed, in college and trying to get a job in an industry that did not really exist, and not exposed to a black woman. I worked odd jobs, I saved, and I worked my way into those rooms. You know the rooms! The rooms were minorities fall underneath the fifth percentile when it comes to making real decisions or what I like to call them the “money rooms”. I networked, collected cards, sent out follow up emails, got rejected, applied for positions, got rejected, attended another network event, and got rejected. And I did this for a year, while educating myself about the industry. Then in 2018, I received my first opportunity and working at Green Thumbs Industries, where I experienced a hands-on viewpoint of what the industry entails. I learned about marketing, horticulture, cultivation, retail, and branding. Taking all the skills I acquired from working at GTI, I moved on to work with MedMen, a cannabis dispensary in the retail sector, learning what people need from the industry. And one thing that has always been prevalent in this industry is the need for education.

Education, change, and social equity is my “why”. In 2020, I developed my first business at 26 years old that combines two passions of mines that I believe can change the trajectory in which the cannabis industry is going. The cannabis industry is not inclusive, it is not equitably sound, and lacks the voices of the ones that were once incriminated by this cash crop. My business, Community and Cannabis Initiative is a start-up that seeks to create genuine partnerships and relationships between communities, community organizations and cannabis businesses. C&C serves a service providing business that offers job preparation, cannabis education, and networking events within communities of color because these communities deserve and have earned a seat at the table. I want to push the presence of diversity through the industry and not just for show, but for employment to create economic sustainability in the same communities that were torn apart by the war on drugs.

As of 2020, the cannabis industry had doubled in size in the previous four years and had created almost 121,000 full-time jobs, with a 100% growth rate. Projections also showed that the cannabis industry would likely create almost 745,000 jobs by 2025. Cannabis is now legalized recreationally in 16 states, including Washington D.C., and legal medically in 36 states. The cannabis industry is projected to produce a total profit of $73.6 billion by 2027. This industry is valued at $61 billion, and reports have predicted it to reach $80 to $100 billion by 2030. While the cannabis industry expands at expedited rates, and quickly surpasses other industries in profits, the extreme inequity in this industry persists.

Research from 2017 found that less than one fifth, about 17%, of the people who are owners or stakeholders within the cannabis industry were people of color. This 2017 study also found that Black people only comprised 4.3% of the ownership and stakeholder positions in the industry. Data from 2016 indicated that a mere 1% of the total 3,200 – 3,600 U.S. cannabis dispensaries at the time were owned by Black people. And within 2020 along, people of color still fall under a 20% percentile of ownership for cannabis businesses. This is my passion, to be apart of something bigger than the now and effect the future.