Make it About Them: The Struggle Towards Inclusion in Nevada’s Cannabis Space

By: Naoka Foreman

Impacted persons want practical solutions to reconciling the damages created by racist drug policies that left families torn apart and locked out of jobs and mainstream wealth building. These policies were put in place for no other reason than to criminalize Black and Brown culture. With Nevada’s cannabis industry bringing in over $1 billion this year, it’s more important than ever to lower the barriers of entry for individuals who carried the burden of cannabis criminalization for decades.

The ACLU has defined impacted people as primarily Black and Latino in the state of Nevada, while Indigenous communities  also have cause for reconciliation. Out of the 86 dispensaries in Nevada just two are Black-owned. Some may argue this is a reflection of the Black population, however this truth did not curtail the arrest of Black individuals who are nearly 4 times more likely to be charged with weed charges than whites, even though they use at the same rate. Furthermore, whites outnumber every other race in common professional roles in Nevada’s cannabis industry by at least 20%-70% in terms of representation, according to the 2021 Demographic Report by the Nevada Cannabis Compliance Board.

The roles included in the report are Owner/Manager (over 60% occupied by white individuals), Board of Directors (over 70% occupied by white individuals), Executive Board Member (nearly 80% occupied by white individuals), and employees (over 50% occupied by white individuals), leaving other racial groups fluctuating amongst each other in other roles at barely over 20% in representation. Nearly 50% of responses that informed the report came from cannabis retail facilities. 

CEIC introduced two bills last legislative session that directly confronts systematic barriers of entry in the cannabis industry. AB 322, carried by Assemblyman CH Miller, creates an attainable pathway into the cannabis industry with Portable Cannabis Vendor Licenses (PCVs) and Canna-Event Organizer Licenses. With less overhead cost, this dramatically reduces the barrier of entry. Economic justice is one of the main components of social equity, and lowering the barrier of entry has to be a priority, just like turning a profit has been.

Disenfranchised people deserve to build a sustainable lifestyle or generational wealth like the rest of the wealthy folks who cashed in on what once tore families apart. Make it about them and support the legalization of PCVs and Canna-Event Organizer licenses.

Sources: CCB, ACLUNV.org, NDA, Equal Justice Initiative

Naoka Foreman is the Creator of @newsfromthemargin and the Comms Director for @ceicnv.