Hello Inner Circle,
I just want to take a moment to say how much I appreciate you being here. Even in this virtual space, you help me feel connected - - like I’m building a real community. These days, it can be difficult to find people who aren’t timid when it comes to talking about racial equity, so your presence here truly means something to me.
Over the past month, I’ve been out intentionally building community. I ran with Black Men Run (rest in power Ahmaud Arbery), attended a Black Mass meeting, participated in a healing event at the Dream Shop, and shared breakfast with 100 Black Men. And this past week was Lucky Leaf Expo week, filled with opportunities to connect with the cannabis industry.
Through all of these experiences, I’m starting to realize that I might not find the community I’m looking for within existing cannabis industry circles. The discussions happening at the industry events often aren’t the ones I’m trying to have, and it can feel awkward trying to enter conversations that aren’t aligned with my values. And honestly, people haven’t always been as welcoming as I expected (true “Minnesota Nice”, I guess). Don’t get me wrong, I’ve met some really chill people - - but only a few who seem genuinely concerned about racial equity.
What I’m realizing is this: my community is the one being left out of the cannabis industry. I’m finding my people at deeply community-centered spaces like Black Men Run and Black Mass meetings - - not industry-centered ones. I’m learning that I need to ground myself where racial equity is already the foundation, not an afterthought. (And where people aren’t afraid to say Black - read more about that here.)
At the same time, I know it’s still important for me to continue showing up in industry spaces. But now I have more clarity about what my purpose is in those spaces. I need to be there to keep building the business, stay informed, and understand the landscape as it evolves. I will also continue finding and developing my voice as a disruptor, showing up ready to ask questions and make sure someone is speaking up about racial equity. Both things can exist at once - - being rooted in community while remaining present in the industry.
If anyone in the Inner Circle would ever like to join me at an event, please let me know. Your company would make the experience a lot more enjoyable.
In community,
Tyjuan Morrow
Founder, Itz Personal
Knowledge changes power dynamics. By uncovering the truth behind decades of targeted enforcement, we dismantle the myths used to justify criminalization and replace them with a roadmap for restorative justice. Together, we use this education to make informed choices that advance racial equity, build opportunity, and empower our collective voice to ensure the future of cannabis is equitable.
As cannabis legalization expands across the United States, many states have created social equity programs intended to repair harms caused by the War on Drugs. These programs are meant to help people and communities most impacted by cannabis criminalization participate in the legal industry.
However, most cannabis social equity programs are race-neutral, even though enforcement of cannabis prohibition disproportionately targeted Black communities.
The primary reason is constitutional law.
In the United States, government programs that explicitly distribute benefits based on race face strict legal scrutiny under the Equal Protection Clause. Courts require governments to prove that race-specific programs are narrowly tailored and necessary to remedy documented discrimination. Because of the high risk of lawsuits, many state legislatures design cannabis equity programs using race-neutral criteria instead.
Instead of naming race directly, states often define a social equity applicant using factors that reflect the impact of prohibition, such as:
• Prior cannabis arrests or convictions
• Living in neighborhoods with historically high drug enforcement
• Low-income status
• Having a family member impacted by incarceration
For example, Minnesota’s cannabis law includes several qualifying pathways. A business can be considered a social equity applicant if 65% or more of ownership is held by individuals who meet certain criteria, including people who:
• Have a past cannabis conviction
• Have a close family member with a cannabis conviction
• Lived in areas with high levels of cannabis enforcement
• Are military veterans
• Are current or former members of the National Guard
These race-neutral frameworks are meant to withstand legal challenges, but they also shape who ultimately benefits from legalization.
Organizations such as the American Civil Liberties Union have documented that Black Americans were far more likely to be arrested for cannabis offenses than white Americans despite similar usage rates. Because most equity programs rely on broader eligibility categories, the communities most impacted by prohibition are not always the ones who benefit most from the legal market.
The takeaway:
Cannabis social equity programs are designed to address past harm - but the decision to make them race-neutral reflects legal constraints as much as policy goals. The question many advocates continue to ask is whether race-neutral policies can fully repair racially disproportionate harm.
Sources and Further Reading:
Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management – Social Equity Applicant Qualifications
https://mn.gov/ocm/businesses/equity/qualifications.jsp
Provides the official explanation of who qualifies as a social equity applicant in Minnesota and how applicants can verify eligibility.Minnesota Statute 342.17
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/342.17
The section of Minnesota’s cannabis law that defines social equity eligibility, including criteria such as prior cannabis convictions, family impact, residence in disproportionately impacted areas, and eligibility for veterans and National Guard members.Minnesota Office of Cannabis Management – Cannabis Equity Implementation Updates
https://mn.gov/ocm
Provides reports, guidance, and licensing updates related to Minnesota’s cannabis market rollout and equity licensing processes.American Civil Liberties Union – Cannabis Arrest Data
https://www.aclu.org
National research documenting racial disparities in cannabis arrests in the United States, frequently used in policy discussions about cannabis equity.
The War on Drugs was specific. Slavery was specific. The compounding harms of centuries of criminalization and disenfranchisement are specific. So why has our language around justice become vague? You cannot repair what you refuse to name. At a time when the language of justice has grown broader, the specificity of anti-Black harm is quietly fading from the conversation. Equity requires clarity about who was harmed and how. Read why collective liberation depends on precision, not comfort here.
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This year we will see more dispensaries opening their doors! It’s an exciting time for the cannabis community but we cannot let the hype of legalization cloud the need for restoration.
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Together, we are paving a path toward repair, empowerment, and real equity. Thank you for being here, being intentional, and investing in high quality and higher impact.
