by Luna Reyna
On Monday, Oct. 26, the Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force held its first public virtual meeting. It started off like any other virtual meeting — the kind many of us are all too familiar with: the odd feedback and crackling of mics while task force members situated themselves and made sure they could be seen and heard.
The task force is “responsible for making recommendations to the Liquor and Cannabis Board (LCB) to establish a social equity program for the issuance and reissuance of existing retail cannabis licenses.” This is an affront to many Washington residents who feel the LCB has targeted Black cannabis entrepreneurs and has contributed to the gaping racial disparities in the local industry. There are also fewer than 40 licenses that fall under that limited umbrella in the entire state of Washington.
Continue reading Social Equity in Cannabis Task Force Aims to Overcome Liquor and Cannabis Board’s History of Injustices to Washington’s Black Community