Ariane Kirkpatrick spent years trying to survive Ohio's marijuana industry. Kirkpatrick entered the cannabis space after Ohio legalized medical marijuana and set aside licenses for minority-owned businesses − a rule later deemed unconstitutional. The state disputed her role with her previous company, Harvest of Ohio. Then she faced a lawsuit from the company that bought Harvest.
"It was heart-wrenching for me to be a part of this industry – the racism, the intentionality of trying to keep me out of the business from all corners," said Kirkpatrick, now the CEO of Mavuno of Ohio.
Ohio's recreational marijuana law, approved by voters in 2023, attempted to level the playing field.
The statute allows people to apply for licenses through a social equity and jobs program that aims to right the wrongs of cannabis prohibition and support business owners who might otherwise struggle to break into the industry.
Read more at The Columbus Dispatch