Blacks and Latinos have borne the brunt of the predatory war on drugs policies, facing far higher arrest and incarceration rates than Whites. So as annual U.S. sales of legal cannabis head toward $43 billion by 2025, it’s a cruel irony that the now-legit industry is dominated by Whites, with only 4% of cannabis shops owned by African Americans.

Property ownership in the United States has been rooted in racial exclusion and exploitation through practices such as the systemic devaluation of Black residential assets. This enduring link between ownership and structural racism strengthens economic disparities in communities like Baltimore, including the racial wealth gap and economic mobility. A community-led Cannabis Micro Business Incubator Program can provide the reparations and reforms needed for economic sustainability in Charm City.

A Micro Business Incubator Program will combat the residual effects of cannabis prohibition by providing social equity, and quality jobs in the emerging cannabis industry through skills training, entrepreneurism services, workforce supports, legal education for employees and employers, and the development of innovative career pathways.