Oakland Drives Cannabis' Economic Benefits Deeper into Its Communities

Entrepreneur Magazine covers the burgeoning cannabis industry closely. In a recent story ("Oakland Strives to Rejuvenate Economically by Becoming California's Cannabis Capital"), it says “Oakland ramped up its counterattack to the U.S. war on drugs, expanding its one-of-a-kind program to help people jailed for marijuana crimes enter the booming cannabis industry,” quoting a story by Dave Debolt in the East Bay Times.

"The arrest rate for African-Americans peaked in 1998, when it was as high as 90 percent," says Debolt, quoting Department of Race and Equity Director Darlene Flynn.

The Entrepreneur articles continues: "With city data indicating that African-Americans have been charged with marijuana crimes twice as frequently as white residents, the Oakland City Council voted unanimously in March to allocate 50 percent of medical marijuana and cannabis sales permits to people affected by the war on drugs."

The Oakland effort increases access to the booming cannabis market for people of color, and also for people living in Oakland for more than 3 years.

Read more in Entrepreneur and the East Bay Times