The troubled path to cannabis equity

For social equity applicants obtaining a licence to become a vendor of recreational weed is a long and expensive journey.

A woman smokes cannabis
A fan smokes cannabis at a makeshift memorial for musician and actor DMX outside White Plains Hospital after he died at the age of 50 [File: Eduardo Munoz/Reuters]

For social equity applicants in Illinois, obtaining a licence to become a vendor of recreational cannabis is a long and expensive journey. The state’s point system to award its licences has been heavily criticised because of its lack of transparency. Multiple lawsuits have stalled the process. Today, many people in communities affected by the so-called war on drugs are waiting to see if they will get a chance to create generational wealth in an industry they say was “built on the backs of Black people”.

In this episode: 

Imaeyen Ibanga (@iiwrites), Presenter with AJ+

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Source: Al Jazeera