Manndie Tingler kept her secret from her parents, certain they would disapprove. And while most Americans have come around, she knew her mom and dad would still consider it “a horrible thing.”
She eventually tired of hiding her affairs, so she began bringing up tidbits to “gauge their warmth.” Finally, Ms. Tingler told them: She was helping to build a marijuana start-up.
Her mother’s response was curt: “So, are you going to get arrested?”
Parents, at book clubs or block parties, love sharing news of their children’s success. But making joints is a far cry from making partner.
Mom and Dad may abhor marijuana. They may fear their child will go to jail or be robbed in this cash-heavy marketplace, which is still illegal in the eyes of the federal government. And, of course, they may just be disappointed.
While legalization has thrown open the doors to entrepreneurs, women and minorities still face the typical biases and roadblocks when it comes to getting their ideas funded, and efforts to make recreational cannabis legal have stalled in states like New York and New Jersey. Lawmakers are struggling with how to right some of the wrongs from the war on drugs, which disproportionately targeted minorities, but consensus has been difficult.