Cannabis Connections: Beyond Criminalization

Hide Transcript Show Transcript

KAREN: AS THE LEGALIZATION OF CANNABIS SPREADS ACROSS THE NATION ISSUES OF SOCIAL JUSTICE CONTINUE TO EMERGE. A LOCAL MUSEUM WITH A FOCUS ON CANNABIS AND THE IMPACT OF AMERICA’S DRUG POLICIES. >> ALL ART IS SUPPOSED TO CREATE REACTION. >> A MILE DOWN CENTER STREET IS THE CORE CANNABIS MUSEUM OPEN SINCE MARCH OF 2021. THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR EXPLAINS THE MUSEUM’S FIRST EXHIBIT. >> THERE’S NO WAY TO TALK ABOUT TAMPA — CANNABIS WITHOUT TALKING ABOUT INCARCERATION. >> AMERICAN WARDEN IS SITUATED NEXT TO SEED, A RECREATIONAL CANNABIS DISPENSARY. >> WE WANTED TO CREATE THIS JUXTAPOSITION WHERE YOU’D HAVE A LEGAL MARKET STEPS AWAY FROM A JAIL CELL AND AN EXHIBITION THAT TOLD YOU ABOUT HOW WE GOT TO THIS PLACE. AND REALLY MEMORIALIZE WHAT’S HAPPENED IN THIS COUNTRY OVER THE LAST SEVERAL DECADES TO PEOPLE WHO ENGAGED WITH THIS PLANT. >> IT WAS HER EXPERIENCE CARRYING — CARING FOR HER MOTHER THAT DREW HER TO THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY. >> I THOUGHT WE COULD — WE COULD CHANGE THE PROCESS OF DYING BY BRINGING PEOPLE THIS COMPOUND. >> AS SHE WORKED IN THE INDUSTRY SHE GREW FRUSTRATED WITH U.S. DRUG POLICY. >> IN AMERICA DESPITE HOUSING ONLY 5% OF THE WORLDS POPULATION WE HOLD 25% OF ITS INMATES. >> SHE HELPS THIS SIMPLIFIES THE FBI DATA ON CRIME IN THE COUNTRY. >> IF YOU ARE ANY MALE BORN IN THIS COUNTRY IN THIS CENTURY HAS A ONE AND 13 CHANCE OF ENDING UP BEHIND BARS. >> SHE WANTS TO INSPIRE VISITORS. >> WE NEED TO MAKE SOME CHANGES. THAT’S THE HOPE THAT PEOPLE WILL HAVE THE FACTS AND INFORMATION FOR DRUG POLICY. >> JAMAICA PLAIN IS A NATURAL PLACE FOR THE MOVEMENT TO GROW. >> IN THE BALLOT INITIATIVE CAME THROUGH THIS COMMUNITY WAS ONE OF THE HIGHEST VOTERS OF YES TO LEGALIZE CANNABIS. WE WANTED TO DO SOMETHING IN A PLACE WHERE THERE WAS MEANING AND IN A COMMUNITY WE UNDERSTOOD. KAREN: JOINING US NOW IS A FORMER BOSTON CITY COMPTROLLER, A FORMER CANDIDATE FOR MAYOR AND CEO OF APEX. AVA IS STAYING WITH US. SOME OF THE QUESTIONS ABOUT SOCIAL JUSTICE AND THE IMPACT FOR THE CRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA IN THE LAST CENTURY. AVA: WHERE DO I BEGIN. THIS IS PROBABLY THE MOST UNIQUE INDUSTRY WE HAVE. IN THE WAY THAT IT INTERSECTS WITH OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE INDUSTRY, SYSTEM. ONE OF THE BIGGEST THINGS AND MY MAIN CONCENTRATION AS A COMMISSIONER HAS BEEN AROUND INCREASING AWARENESS THAT A CRIMINAL RECORD IS NOT A COMPLETE BAR TO INTERNAL — TO THE REGULATED INDUSTRY. IN FACT IT’S THE OPPOSITE. WE WANT MORE PEOPLE FROM THE LEGACY MARKET TO COME DIRECTLY AND BE ABLE TO OPERATE UNDER THE CANNABIS CONTROL COMMISSION. WE’VE BEEN LOOKING AT OPPORTUNITIES FOR THAT. THE OTHER THING IS I’VE DONE A SWEEPING EVALUATION OF THE REGULATIONS WE’VE HAD IN THE COMMONWEALTH OF MASSACHUSETTS BEFORE MY ARRIVAL AND IDENTIFYING WERE SOME OF THOSE SYSTEMIC CHANGES, WHAT WE NEEDED TO CHANGE WITHIN OUR OWN REGULATIONS. THERE WERE THINGS, THERE WERE RECORDS BEFORE THE CHANGE IN THE LAW RECENTLY THAT SAID IF YOU HAD CERTAIN RECORDS YOU COULD NOT BE AN AGENT, YOU COULD NOT WORK AT ANY OF THE ESTABLISHMENTS. KAREN: THE PROCESS GOING THROUGH ALL OF THOSE AND WEEDING OUT THOSE THINGS. TITO, WHAT ARE SOME OF THE WAYS YOU ARE INCLUDING THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY CRIMINALIZATION OF MARIJUANA — OF THE MARIJUANA INDUSTRY AND HOW DOES THE GUIDANCE OF THE SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAM FACTOR? TITO: THE COMMISSIONER HAS KICKED BUT IN THIS AREA. OPENING DOORS FOR MY EMPLOYEES. WHAT USED TO HAPPEN WAS POSSESSION WOULD ALLOW YOU TO WORK. THE SILLY PART IS IF SOMEONE WANTS TO GET OUT OF THE LEGACY MARKET AND THEY HAD A DISTRIBUTION CHARGE OR A TRAFFICKING CHARGE, OF THAT PERSON COULD NOT GET OUT AND IN ADDITION THEY HAVE WHAT I REFER TO AS TRANSFERABLE SKILLS. THEY CAN LEAD, THEY KNOW A LOT ABOUT LOGISTICS AND MARKETING AND THE LIKE. WHAT WE’VE DONE IS WE’VE BEEN PROACTIVE, WE WENT OUT AND SAID WE ARE FRIENDLY. A LOT OF FOLKS, THIS GREAT RESIGNATION THING DID NOT HIT US. KAREN: HOW MANY PEOPLE ON YOUR STAFF REFLECT THOSE THAT HAVE BEEN INVOLVED? TITO: 20% OF MY STAFF. THE PIECE WITH FOLKS, I DON’T BELIEVE FOLKS SHOULD BE JUDGED BY THE WORST THING WE’VE EVER DONE. IN ADDITION IT SHOULDN’T BE THAT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE MAKING $100 MILLION A YEAR FROM THE SAME THING THAT THIS INDIVIDUAL WAS DOING. AND THEN I AM PART OF THE SOCIAL EQUITY PROGRAM SO THERE SOME PRESCRIPTIVE LANGUAGE IN THE PROGRAM THAT PUSHES ME TO DO SOMETHING I WOULD HAVE DONE ANYWAY. KAREN: TELL US HOW YOUR PERSPECTIVE HAS INFLUENCED YOUR APPROACH TO THE CANNABIS BUSINESS? TITO: I VIEW IT AS AN EXTENSION OF THE WORK I WAS DOING ON THE CITY COUNCIL. MANY OTHER COMPANIES HIRE PEOPLE TO SELL CANNABIS. I SELL CANNABIS SO I CAN HIRE PEOPLE AND PAY THEM A DECENT WAGE. WE HAVE AN AMAZING ENVIRONMENT, A DIVERSE GROUP OF FOLKS. 80% OF MY EMPLOYEES WHO ARE BIPOC. IT ALLOWS ME TO DO BUSINESS WITH BUSINESSES OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR, USE SUPPLIERS WHO ARE OWNED BY PEOPLE OF COLOR. I DON’T ACTUALLY HAVE TO HAVE 12 OTHER PEOPLE VOTE ON IT EITHER. I LOVE THAT PART. SHOUT OUT TO MY FRIENDS ON THE BOSTON’S CITY COUNCIL. KAREN: WHEN YOU ARE THE CEO YOU ARE THE BOSS. HOW DO YOU PLAN TO EDUCATE CONSUMERS ABOUT RESPONSIBLE CANNABIS USE. AVA: I WANT TO AND PLAN TO HAVE MORE OF A PUBLIC AWARENESS CAMPAIGN AROUND RESPONSIBLE USE NOT ONLY THAT BUT ALSO AROUND RECORD SEALING AND EXPUNGEMENT AND HOW THAT INTERSECTS WITH THE INDUSTRY. THERE SOMETHING TITO SAID THE TRIGGERED SOMETHING BECAUSE WHEN WE TALK ABOUT EQUITY AND THE PROVISIONS IN PLACE A LOT OF THE TIMES THE FOCUS IS ON THE PEOPLE WHO WORK WITHIN THE INDUSTRY, BUT WE KNOW THE WAR ON DRUGS HAS HAD A COMMUNITY IMPACT AND I THINK IT’S SOMETHING PEOPLE DON’T REALIZE THAT EVEN IF YOU DON’T WORK IN THE INDUSTRY, EVEN IF YOU DON’T CONSUME YOU ARE STILL BEING IMPACTED. I DON’T WANT TO GO OFF TOO MUCH BUT IT’S A $4 BILLION INDUSTRY AND THE COMMONWEALTH ALONE. EVERY BUSINESS ESTABLISHMENT IT’S OPENED IN THE SPACE IS REQUIRED TO GIVE BACK TO THOSE COMMUNITIES WE’VE IDENTIFIED. KAREN: TALKING ABOUT THIS BEING A BIG INDUSTRY. AS THE INDUSTRY MATURES, NEIGHBORING STATES MAKE CANNABIS LEGAL THERE’S MORE COMPETITION ESPECIALLY FROM BIG BUSINESSES WITH BIG NAMES SUCH AS DAVID ORTIZ, OF THOSE PEOPLE LIKELY HAVE DEEP POCKETS. WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR ENTREPRENEURS LOOKING TO ENTER THE INDUSTRY? >> CONNECT WITH PEOPLE IN YOUR COMMUNITY. ASK PEOPLE WHO ARE DOING IT. I’VE HELPED THREE BUSINESSES GET INTO BUSINESS AND OPEN EVEN BEFORE ME. THIS IS ABOUT LIFTING WHILE WE CLIMB AND THAT’S WHAT APEX KNOW OUR — NOIR IS ABOUT. WE WANT TO BE AT THE TOP BUT THE NAME MAKES ME NEVER FORGET THAT BLACK PEOPLE OF BEEN DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS. WE WANT TO MAKE SURE THEY ARE BENEFITING AND BUILDING WEALTH. KAREN: THANK YOU BOTH FOR BEING HERE. THE NEW RETAIL