Key Cannabis Community Members Supporting Black Lives Matter


Cannabis and social justice reform are at the core intertwined. The murder of George Floyd has started a national dialogue about racial injustice, which is a core concern of the cannabis community as well. These leading members of our community have been working tirelessly as advocates for many years, but have spoken passionately about recent events:
Steve DeAngelo

Speaker, Activist, Advocate, Entrepreneur, and Educator
Known as the “Father of the Cannabis Industry”, Steve DeAngelo has been pushing constructive dialogue and supporting the protests happening around the country. Leveraging his Twitter audience of tens of thousands of followers, he expressed that he believes it is wrong that activist organizations are being labeled as terrorist groups by the President simply due to their ethnically diverse background.
DeAngelo stated, “When a multiracial crowd takes to the streets to defend the community from out of control, militarized killer police they are declared domestic terrorists. Yet another reason I will never, ever trust the federal government of the United States.”
NORML

Public Interest Advocacy Group
NORML works on reforming cannabis laws throughout the nation. Their mission is to move public opinion sufficiently to legalize the responsible use of cannabis by adults, and to serve as an advocate for consumers to assure they have access to high quality cannabis that is safe, convenient, and affordable.
Senator Cory Booker

U.S. Senator, New Jersey
Senator Booker unapologetically supports cannabis reform due its disproportionate effect on the African American community. He has often spoken about his frustrations that the step of legalization is taken but no “past steps” are fixed, like releasing people from jail for possession of small amounts of cannabis.
In a recent interview with MSNBC, Senator Booker stated, “Right now, the data that we see from employment information all the way to marijuana laws—where [there is] no difference between Blacks and Whites for using the drug, but there were more marijuana arrests in 2017 than all violent crime arrests combined, and Blacks were four times more likely to be arrested for it.”
Hope Wiseman

Founder of Mary & Main Dispensary in Maryland
Hope Wiseman is the country’s youngest Black female dispensary owner and used her voice on Instagram to advocate for George Floyd. She also has been reposting other Black operated cannabis businesses on her Instagram story.
Wiseman stated, “The tragic death of George Floyd sits heavy on the hearts of many. The intense pain and loss goes beyond saying every time you view the video. The Cannabis industry is the US #1 growing job sector. The industry’s foundation can be linked back to social injustice and social inequity towards people of color.
Stand now in solidarity with Black men and women who are more likely to be racially profiled…who are more likely to be incarcerated for cannabis…who are more likely to get passed over for a job in this industry…who are more likely to be killed by those who are supposed to protect us. This affects us all. Together we can be the change that makes a difference.”
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