Right now, plenty of people are keying into support for Black Americans and their entrepreneurial pursuits.
These considerations have also expanded to the CBD and hemp industry, where white entrepreneurs have been the norm for some time. Still, changes are happening in both laws and consumer interest may result in more attention for Black hemp business owners and entrepreneurs of color in general.
According to a recent law passed in Colorado, for instance, all of those previously arrested and imprisoned on cannabis charges will soon be released and have their records expunged because the substance is legal there.
The bill, H.B. 1424, which is a new plan to provide clemency for all those imprisoned in the state for cannabis offenses.
Colorado legalized recreational marijuana and other products in 2014, and its “green” economy has exploded in the time since, but some say the punitive measurements taken in the time before are a long-running cause of inequality.
High Times magazine and the Denver Post report that the cannabis industry in Colorado is widely dominated by white business owners, and the disproportionate enforcement of marijuana laws against people of color before legalization laid the groundwork for this disparity.
“For decades now, the Black community has been disproportionately criminalized because of marijuana while others have profited,” Bill sponsor Rep. James Coleman told the Denver Post. “We have needed to act on this injustice for decades.”
One Black CBD entrepreneur who has drawn some attention in recent days is Katrina Thompkins, a nurse who recently started the brand K’dara CBD.
The brand targets both humans and pets, and Thompkins says she started the company in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic while she was working as an ICU nurse.
“Over the years, the No.1 thing that I have always believed in is the value in investing in your health. It’s the best thing that one can do for themselves,” Thompkins told Black Enterprise.
“As I worked as a nurse, I felt the need to continue to contribute to society with my passion for health and wellness. Starting a CBD business allowed me to continue to focus on health and wellness and also learn about a startup business and grow my passion for entrepreneurship.”
Stay tuned to the Nothing But Hemp blog for more news about cutting edge trends in the hemp trade!
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