The Pitfalls Of Social Equity Programs
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The Pitfalls Of Social Equity Programs
The Pitfalls Of Social Equity Programs
To help level the playing field, many jurisdictions are implementing social equity programs designed to help people from communities adversely impacted by the War on Drugs gain a foothold in the regulated cannabis market. But Kingston and Felix are wary of such initiatives. The social equity program in Los Angeles is being rolled out in fits and starts, and no licenses have yet been issued to applicants, many of whom have been paying rent on empty storefronts for years as they wait. Others lost everything they had invested when they could run out the clock no longer.
In addition to the red tape of social equity programs, Kingston says they do not address the needs of the entrepreneurs they are designed to support once they’ve been licensed. Precious few members of underserved communities of color have had the opportunity to develop the skills needed to run a successful cannabis business. And raising the necessary start-up capital is another serious challenge. The result is often an even greater influx of corporate cannabis into the market, Kingston asserts.
“So, you can give a guy a license; he doesn’t have the money, he doesn’t have the business skills,” he says. “What ends up happening, what’s happening in California, corporate is going to get these social equity guys and fund them.” pg slot
Once a social equity licensee accepts outside investment, they risk losing control of their business if they aren’t careful.
“They go get a social equity person, and they basically use them,” Kingston warns.
Felix agrees, saying the motives behind social equity initiatives may need to be revamped to provide additional services to the budding entrepreneurs they were designed to support. And he believes business owners of color with a proven track record in the regulated cannabis industry should have a hand in reinventing the programs.
“Social equity is a good program. It just needs to be ran correctly,” Felix says. “They may need to scrap what they have now. They need to bring people to the table such as myself and others to craft guidelines that will work, and stop setting people up for failure.” |
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