In many places around the U.S., the legal status of cannabis has changed dramatically in recent years.
Unfortunately, its not as simple as that.
What does ethical weed consumption mean?
As weed achieves legality in more and more places, its also giving rise to a very lucrative industry.
In 2018, legal weed wasworth$10.4 billion; up an entire billion from the year prior.
By 2022, revenue isexpectedto hit $23.4 billion.
Others are… not.
So what does this mean for me, a weed buyer?
As a consumer, you have considerable power in the form of consciously choosing which businesses to support.
How can I tell the good actors from the bad?
Put simply, you have to do your homework.
Who greets you when you walk in the door?
Who shows up to your door with the weed?
Who owns the shop?
How do they pay their employees?
Are they employing people who have been harmed by the war on drugs?
What products are they stocking?
How do those companies operate?
Are members of their ownership team coming from directly impacted communities?
And and so on.
As Davies at DPA put it, This isnt like any other industry.
Wow, that sounds like a lot of work.
Are there any shortcuts?
As of now, no.
That fact alone eliminates the possibility of easily classifying good and bad actors.
So its not not really possible right now.
Does the consumer have a responsibility?, Senter asked.
Well, I mean, do consumers typically support black and brown businesses in any other industry?
Sometimes they do, sometimes they dont.
Id say largely they dont.
So is it going to be any different in cannabis?
I highly doubt it.
Thats been difficult in the past, because of course it was illegal to self-identify as a consumer.
