The United States Capitol building in Washington DC
Black people make up the majority of residents in the capital city of Washington D.C. Despite that, people of color were left out of the cannabis industry in the city for years.
Medical dispensaries have been operating in the capital since 2013. However, it wasn’t until 2019 that the first Black-owned medical dispensary opened, called Anacostia Organics.
It wasn’t easy to open their dispensary, which was a multi-year battle that included some legal flexing. To get their license, they found out that the initial 15 licenses were awarded to people who weren’t residents of D.C., and only one was given to a minority.
Not long after Anacostia Organics, another license was awarded to a Black man named Norbert Pickett. He opened Cannabliss, one of the best dispensaries in the city.
Marijuana and Cannabis in Washington DC
Both dispensaries know that it’s an uphill battle to start a cannabis business as a minority, as Norbert Pickett says:
“As Black people, the cannabis industry is an industry that we’ve been notoriously left out of, where this is an opportunity for us to build a special expertise.”
For the last few years, they have built their expertise, and with the coming legalization, they hope to give it to other minority cannabis business owners.
Washington D.C.’s Pending Cannabis Legalization
The cannabis situation in Washington D.C. is an odd one. Weed is already legal for recreational use, but it can’t be sold recreationally in the city—yet.
Although the recreational law passed in 2015, called Initiative 71, the law doesn’t allow the sale of cannabis. D.C.’s mayor, Muriel Bowser, has been fighting hard to get legal cannabis passed.
It’s been a hard fight because of Republicans. The thing is, D.C. isn’t technically a state and gets overseen by Congress.
That means that D.C.’s local laws are at the mercy of who’s in power of the houses. Sadly, republicans have been a majority in at least one chamber for many years.
They’ve been using underhanded legal tricks and loopholes to delay D.C.’s implementation of cannabis laws. Now, Democrats control both houses, and the mayor thinks this might finally be the year for legal cannabis sales.
Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021
Washington, DC. Mayor Muriel Bowser feeds a dancing dragon a note.
On February 26th, Muriel Bowser proposed the Safe Cannabis Sales Act of 2021. The law not only legalizes cannabis sales in D.C. but makes a strong effort to include social equity.
Muriel Bowser herself is a Black woman, and of the new law, she said:
“Through this legislation, we can fulfill the will of D.C. voters, reduce barriers for entering the cannabis industry, and invest in programs that serve residents and neighborhoods hardest hit by the criminalization of marijuana.”
The specifics of the law look to right past wrongs, such as:
- Automatic expungement for cannabis convictions
- Use cannabis sales tax to benefit those who have harmed by cannabis laws
- Making sure most cannabis businesses are by residents of the city
- Invest cannabis taxes into low-income communities
On top of all that, the social equity program looks to invest in startup assistance for people of color. Hopefully, the law passes this year and fulfills its promises.
If that happens, Washington D.C. might become the haven of minority-owned cannabis businesses.
