Being in the community while on this journey to legal is key. Building with one another through collaboration is imperative to the longevity of our success and be encouraged to stay the course. Only 19% of cannabis businesses are owned by Black or POC entrepreneurs, with only 4% of that being specifically Black owned. The lack of diversity is upsetting but not surprising. It's also an inspiration to change these numbers. Tsehaitu Abye, creator of BDBC + cannabis advocate, immersed herself in the cannabis space for this very reason. “I started BDBC because there were little to no spaces that looked like me”. Visibility and proper representation are important. It’s necessary to see people who look like us being epic in the space, providing mentorship, owning property, running businesses, and changing the perception of cannabis through lifestyle.

If you’re an aspiring entrepreneur struggling to navigate the cannabis space, wellness practitioner looking to expand your heart-centered business, or just a card-carrying cannabis user who is sick and tired of marketing that revolves around weed jokes…