The problem we set out to solve
States promised that cannabis legalization would repair the harms of prohibition. “Social equity” programs were supposed to help communities most targeted by drug enforcement enter and build wealth in the newly legal industry. A decade into legalization waves, that promise too often remains symbolic. We have equity programs in name, but not in effect. Definitions of who qualifies vary wildly, data collection is inconsistent or missing, and the single biggest practical barrier—access to capital due to...
