As weed becomes legal in more and more states, everyone from Justin Bieber to Gwyneth Paltrow has tried to sell me some dope. Many of us can’t help but feel a profound sense of injustice at these rich, white celebrities profiting off an industry that thousands of Black and brown people have been imprisoned for. Thankfully, New York is about to take a small but impressive step to correct some historic wrongs: The state will give its first batch of weed retail licenses to people who were convicted for cannabis offenses and their family members, according to the New York Times.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposed plan, which is likely to be passed, will invest $200 million in helping weed retailers secure storefronts, per the Times. The plan hopes to offset a trend in so many other states where weed has been legalized but business owners from historically marginalized communities have not had the capital or resources to open successful dispensaries. On top of that, New York’s Office of Cannabis Management announced that they plan to grant half of the state’s cannabis licenses to minority and women-owned companies, struggling farmers, ex-cons and disabled military veterans, per Rolling Stone.
