Cannabis for the Culture: Why Black & Brown Ownership Matters in the Green Rush
Let’s be clear—this plant didn’t start in a boardroom.
It started in the soil, in our rituals, in the hands of healers, aunties, and legacy dealers who risked everything to serve their people.
But now, cannabis is “trendy.” Legal in many states. Multimillion-dollar brands popping up on every block.
And guess who’s still locked out, underfunded, over-policed, and underrepresented?
Us.
This ain’t just about weed.
It’s about ownership.
Equity.
Reparations.
Reclaiming a plant that was weaponized against us—then sold back without apology.
🌱 A Quick History They Don’t Teach
1937: The Marihuana Tax Act criminalized cannabis—targeting Mexican immigrants and Black jazz musicians.
1971: Nixon launched the “War on Drugs,” explicitly designed to disrupt Black and Brown communities.
1980s–90s: Mandatory minimums and mass incarceration exploded—while white users got rehab, we got records.
Today: White-owned dispensaries are thriving… while folks who paved the way still can’t get licenses, loans, or forgiveness.
Frankie’s Truth: You can’t profit off the plant without addressing the people who were punished for it.
💸 What “Equity” Should Really Mean
Access to licenses without predatory fees
Start-up capital for BIPOC businesses
Land ownership for cultivation
Record expungement for cannabis-related convictions
Priority hiring & partnerships with legacy operators
Community reinvestment—not just tax collection
Real equity ain’t about optics. It’s about reparation.
🤎 Why Black & Brown Ownership Is Non-Negotiable
Because we:
Are the original cultivators, creators, and cultural carriers
Have been the backbone of underground cannabis culture
Bring community healing and culturally rooted entrepreneurship
Have the right to profit from what was taken from us
Frankie’s Corner isn’t just a dispensary or a club—it’s a rebuke to erasure.
We show up for Harlem, for healing, for history, and for the ones who came before us.
🛠 What We're Doing Differently at Frankie’s
We hire legacy.
We educate our community, not just serve them.
We build coalitions with other BIPOC growers, chefs, and wellness leaders.
We don’t gatekeep. We game-lift.
This isn’t about weed—it’s about wellness, wealth, and power.
🗣 Final Hit: Don’t Just Get High. Get Free.
Cannabis is freedom.
Cannabis is ancestral.
Cannabis is ours.
And if we’re not building spaces where we’re represented at every level—from the grow to the register to the ownership papers—then we’re just playing ourselves.
At Frankie’s, we’re not just in the industry.
We’re replanting roots.
Published & Written by Lyriq Manson | IG: @shespeaksezy