NCIA 2019 Cannabis Business Summit

Sessions Speakers Exhibitors Floor Plan Buzz

Cannabis Reform Stops Short: Why We Can’t Let Social Justice Get Lost (Room Executive H)

As support for legalization continues to climb and speculation of “cannabis reform” at the federal level continues to swirl, one critical opportunity stands to be lost in the fray of voices and messages: Social Justice. Cannabis reform, alone, stops short. The deeper work is addressing convictions, providing opportunities, and reinvesting in poor and minority communities that have been battered for decades by the “war on drugs.” With focused attention, we can shape policies and legislation to expunge records, provide employment opportunities, and further offset the disproportionate affects on people and communities of color. Expungement of misdemeanor charges, alone, can mean the difference in getting a job or housing for residents of poor and minority communities across the country.