Of the 18 states that legalized medical or recreational cannabis sales since 2016, six have taken considerable measures to boost diversity in their marijuana programs.
While that doesn’t represent a majority of markets, those that have implemented significant social equity programs are projected to grow much larger than those without.
States that legalized medical and/or adult-use cannabis since 2016 and included social equity provisions are projected to have total annual sales of $12.7 billion in 2022, compared with $4.1 billion combined for those without a social equity program.
Concerns about a lack of social equity and diversity in the cannabis industry have existed since the start of marijuana legalization.