Still, there’s room for improvement, the participants noted during a panel discussion at MJBizCon.
The panel – dubbed “Clash of the Titans” – focused on the culture wars that have long characterized divisions between the activists of the pro-cannabis movement and the industry’s corporate executives.
“Big business cannot survive without what cannabis culture has brought to the table,” said Wanda James, owner of Denver-based Simply Pure, a vertically integrated cannabis company.
A study by Denver regulators highlighted that marijuana company ownership in the city and county is predominantly white, spurring a debate over the value of the analysis itself and how to improve local business opportunities for people of color.
Among respondents, 75% of Denver cannabis business owners were white and only 6% of both cannabis business owners and employees were African American.
Hispanic, Latino or Spanish respondents represented about 13% of owners and 12% of employees.
Wanda James looked at the 300-plus attendees of the inaugural NJ Cannabis Summit and asked a simple question.
“How many of you consume cannabis?”
For James, the CEO of Simply Pure and an applicant for one of six Alternative Treatment Centers in New Jersey, openly talking about cannabis isn’t just a lifestyle issue – it’s vital to growing a successful industry.
“All eyes are on New Jersey right now in this industry. Nationwide, and even to our brothers and sisters in Canada, we’re all looking to see what New Jersey is going to do. To be completely honest with you, there has not been a state yet that has passed legalization or adult use that has gotten it right,” said Wanda James, owner of Simply Pure marijuana dispensary in Denver.
A small crowd gathered outside Viola Extracts’ cultivation facility for a morning press conference on the banks of the Detroit River July 13. Inside, however, the warehouse was mostly empty.
More than a month prior, on May 29, Detroit police executed a search warrant and arrested six workers inside the facility. Police officers, in conjunction with U.S. Border Patrol agents, confiscated more than 100 lbs. of cannabis. The six were arraigned June 1 in Michigan’s 36th District Court.