For five days straight #Blacklivesmatter has been trending on social media. Protests against police brutality and for innocent black lives taken at the hands of white oppression, white privilege, white supremacy, and white hate have exploded across the Nation.
As more voices arise in the chorus in the call for justice, the arrest of officers who murder unarmed Black men and women, and an end to systemic racism and oppression that has debilitated the lives of so many black people in this country over generations, there is a problem that is becoming more and more apparent. It is a problem that has permeated throughout the oppression and suppression of Black lives and Black voices.
That problem is white silence, which lends to pseudo support from the businesses they run and the industries it dominates.
In the cannabis industry, some of the most prominent and recognizable brands have spoken up and out against the murder of unarmed Black people in America at the hands of police and white supremacist, and systematic racism. High Times Magazine stated in part in an Instagram post “Last week the world witnessed a tragedy on the grandest scale, but it wasn’t an isolated incident. This was a symptom of a much larger problem that exist in this country…We ache for the memories of not only George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, and Ahmaud Aubrey, but for every other person of color senselessly murdered and brutalized by police officers.”
Cookies owner Berner, whose dispensary was broken into and raided by thieves and opportunist, posted a video where he said in part “It’s extremely unfortunate what happened to our store tonight on Melrose, but as a human living in the world we are living in today I cannot expect anything less until justice is served. See, we can rebuild our store, but you cannot bring someone back to life…. How can I worry about a store when there is so much more going on in the world right now?”
Other companies such as KandyPens, Blum, Green Flower Media, GKUA, Caliva, Tweed, Top Hat Cannabis, MerryJane, Harborside Oakland, Jardin, and Viola all made post that seemed to truly speak to the heart of the problem and support the movement to eradicate racial injustice in America.
Brands like Koko Nuggz (who is endorsed by YG and Amber Rose, has pictures of black faces on its packing and is clearly heavily influenced by Black culture and HipHop), Shaboink owned by Post Malone, and Mike Tyson, leaned on the Blackout Tuesday post to show their solidarity but offered nothing more.
Very few companies have been completely silent about the unjust murder of black people in this country like Planet 13.
The self-proclaimed “largest cannabis dispensary on the planet, ” nor any of its affiliates such as Medizin, Trendi, Leaf and Vine, PURC coffee, or Planet M have not stated their support at this time, and only posted a notification to their customers they will be closed amidst planned protest at Trump Tower in Las Vegas.
Game Up Nutrition owned by the Diaz Brothers is another notable company who has said absolutely nothing about the injustice surrounding Black people in America.
Although many cannabis companies have made a post or announced in some way they are going to stand with and support Black people and their community, the question remains what is the action they are taking to support the community beyond a blackout post (which seemed the be the answer for many of the cannabis brands offering nothing more than a Blackout post on Tuesday June 2 with no words or commentary to offer the movement).
According to an ACLU poll posted by Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Blacks have been nearly four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession. On the heels of these nationwide protests would be the perfect opportunity for cannabis companies to identity how they will assist in the fight for social equity in an industry and for a people who made the cannabis industry profitable because of the life equity put into the legacy market, the Black lives and Black swag that has birthed popular culture in the last 30 years.
While hashtags and posts are appreciated, cannabis company leadership must go deeper inside themselves to stand up for something greater than their brands and their bottom lines. They must take their conversation and understanding of black lives, white supremacy, and the systemic economic oppression and seemingly deliberate noninvestment into black executives, black businesses, and black ownership in this steadily growing industry to the next level. There have been a lot of posts about black lives mattering and standing with those who fight against injustice but there has been very little to zero talk from companies about the injustices and systemic racism that negatively impact black business, black economics and black ownership.
Companies that are posting about black lives need to know that black business equity matters. How can you help? Partner with black owned business, invest in black startups, and recognize that attempting to have this conversation with the fear of offending white people will not cause the system to change. “You don’t have to teach people how to be human. You have to teach them how to stop being inhuman.” Eldridge Cleaver.