With the General Assembly likely to approve a cannabis legalization bill next year, advocates for entrepreneurs of color are taking steps to make sure the state’s future pot industry is as diverse as possible.
Two veteran lobbyists — former Del. Michael Arrington (D) and former Republican Party chairman John Kane — recently announced the formation of the Maryland Minority Cannabis Business Association.
The association, an Annapolis-based non-profit, will “serve as the voice for minority businesses to guarantee opportunity, education, and equality for the communities devastated by the war on drugs,” the pair said in a press release.
A House of Delegates workgroup created by Speaker Adrienne A. Jones (D-Baltimore County) met earlier this month to begin planning for the potential legalization of cannabis for recreational use. Currently, pot is legal in 18 states and Washington, D.C.
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