NY Cannabis Insider is hosting a full-day “problems and solutions” summit at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Albany on May 18. Learn more and buy tickets here.
The Service-Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association (SDVICA) is a not-for-profit organization created by and consisting of service-disabled veterans whose mission is to advocate for service-disabled veterans in cannabis, including priority for licensing, seats on regulatory bodies, and workforce development.
We are submitting this letter in response to the NY Post article, dated April 9, that criticized Gov. Kathy Hochul’s administration for prioritizing those impacted by the War on Drugs over service-disabled military veterans in the awarding of cannabis dispensary licenses.
Some service-disabled veterans felt disproportionately affected by the CAURD (Conditional Adult-Use Retail Dispensary) license roll-out. It is essential to present a broader perspective and to emphasize the importance of unity within the cannabis community in New York. As the industry evolves with new laws and regulations, we must stand together to achieve a fair and equitable cannabis market.
Members of the Service-Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association (SDVICA) and other cannabis advocacy organizations feel that the article may have portrayed divisions in New York’s nascent adult-use cannabis community, and we want to make it clear that is NOT the case.
The Service-Disabled Veterans of New York support the state’s efforts to ensure a successful execution of their social and economic equity plan, including those persons and communities that have been impacted by cannabis criminalization. “The interconnectivity between the Service-Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association and the New York CAURD Coalition is a powerful force that stands united to bring stability to the cannabis market.
Social equity, social justice and the MRTA
Social equity and social justice emerged as key themes in marijuana legalization throughout several states in recent years. States where marijuana is legal have increasingly tried in recent years to ensure there’s a place in the market for people who were prosecuted because of a now-legal product. But the efforts have been slow-moving in many states.
The MRTA created a unique opportunity for New Yorkers. The law prioritizes 50% of all licenses for social and economic equity applicants, which Service-Disabled Veterans are a part of, just like minority- and women-owned businesses, individuals from communities disproportionately impacted by the enforcement of cannabis prohibition; to include persons convicted of cannabis offenses, and distressed farmers.
New York is showing that they’re willing to try and they’re willing to do things differently by opening access to entry for both social equity and social justice applicants, exemplifying true strides towards achieving equity.
The CAURD application
When the OCM released the CAURD application, justice-involved individuals (persons previously convicted of cannabis offenses) had to also demonstrate that they had at least two years of profitable business ownership experience, proven through tax documents.
Service-disabled veterans are social justice and social equity; to include CAURD
There is no disputing that the War on Drugs has had a disproportionate impact among New York’s Black and brown communities. These communities bore the brunt, while also being treated as collateral damage from stop-and-frisk abuses to mass incarceration and generational trauma. This bureaucratic violence took away these citizens’ ability to access housing, employment opportunities, and other vital services.
What many people don’t realize is that countless veterans and service-disabled veterans were disproportionately impacted when they returned home to their communities, because they too were incarcerated for cannabis offenses.
Service-disabled veterans must also be included in any conversation about the CAURD program. According to multiple sources, like the Vietnam Veterans of America, nearly 200,000 US veterans are incarcerated and held behind bars each day. In late 2022, the ACLU released a report stating that “in fact, almost one third of America’s war veterans have been arrested or booked into jail – nearly double the rate among civilians.”
The Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ) is currently in the midst of a multi-year study, and they have identified that veterans’ justice involvement ranges from “combat-related risk factors” to “bad-paper” discharges that bar VA benefits; such as “access to mental health and substance abuse treatment, ineffective procedures to identify veterans on arrest, and inconsistent diversion mechanisms.”
The chair of the CCJ, former US Defense Secretary and US Senator Chuck Hagel (R-NE), has stated that, “Service-related trauma and other legacies of deployment push too many veterans on a path toward incarceration.”
So, when we think of CAURD, we realize that service-disabled veterans are also in these ranks. By working together, the New York CAURD Coalition and the Service-Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association are committed to advocating for policies that support recreational cannabis research, education, and access.
Ensuring fairness, equality and opportunities for all
The cannabis industry has the potential to create economic opportunities for communities disproportionately impacted by drug laws. By building bridges, maintaining positive relationships, and creating a unified approach, we can establish true opportunities for service-disabled veterans, women, minorities, LGBTQ individuals, returning citizens, farmers, and persons from communities disproportionately impacted to own a cannabis business or have true living wage jobs within the industry.
While promoting social justice and social equality, it is important to maintain and promote fairness and equality. The cannabis industry has the potential to create economic opportunities for the social justice and social equity applicants defined in the MRTA, but only if there is a concerted effort to ensure that they all have a fair chance to participate. By promoting fairness and equality, New York State ensures that the industry remains sustainable and successful in the long term.
When some segments of the community feel excluded or discriminated against, it can create resentment and mistrust, and this can ultimately harm the industry as a whole. By promoting social justice and social equity, the industry can help to build trust with the broader community, and this can lead to greater support and legitimacy.
The cannabis industry has the potential to create new economic opportunities for communities that have been disproportionately impacted by drug laws, and promoting fairness and equality can help to ensure that social justice and social equity applicants have a fair chance to participate and benefit.
This is why social justice is just as important as social equity. Promoting fairness and equality is the right thing to do, and it helps to ensure that all members of the community – regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, economic status, or justice involvement – are treated with dignity and respect. We believe that promoting social justice and social equality within the industry will help build public trust and legitimacy and is also critical for the long-term success and sustainability of the cannabis industry.
A call for unity and fairness in New York’s cannabis market
One of the worst things that the cannabis community can do right now is show division. From social equity to social justice, our communities need to work together to create a fair and equitable cannabis industry here in New York. This partnership fosters a sense of community, support, and empowerment for disabled veterans in the cannabis industry.
Let us all work together to ensure that all members of the cannabis community, including service-disabled veterans, have a fair chance to participate in, and benefit from, this growing industry.
By embracing unity, fairness, and opportunities for all, we can create a sustainable and successful cannabis market in New York, reflecting the diversity and resilience of our community.
SDVICA stands with the New York CAURD licensees
As members of the SDVICA, we support the CAURD applicants and licenses as they embark on their journey in the cannabis industry. We celebrate every justice-involved individual receiving a CAURD license, as we know that the ranks of CAURD licensees also include service-disabled veterans and other social equity and social justice applicants.
We fought together for our country, and we fought together to legalize cannabis; now we continue the fight for an equitable cannabis industry together. By promoting fairness and equality, New York can ensure that the legal cannabis industry remains sustainable and successful in the long term.
Thank you to New York State and the Office of Cannabis Management for including service-disabled veterans in the original MRTA bill and for your time and efforts in creating a sustainable, equitable cannabis industry for New York.
The SDVICA looks forward to continuing a productive and informed dialogue with the OCM to ensure a fair and equitable rollout of the cannabis industry and its social and economic equity efforts.
Signed,
Service-Disabled Veterans in Cannabis Association
New York CAURD Coalition
Cannabis Association of New York, Veterans Committee
Recent Comments