City uses marijuana tax money for playground, sidewalk improvements bigrapidsnews.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from bigrapidsnews.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Michigan’s marijuana industry leaves people of color behind
Anna Liz Nichols
Tags:
Michigan company aims to make cannabis industry more fair for everyone
LANSING, Mich. – The first year of state-licensed recreational marijuana sales in Michigan saw $511 million of sales in recreational and $474 million in medical sales, generating over $100 million in tax revenue, but the state also found that the commercial marijuana industry drastically failed to attract minority business owners.
The Marijuana Regulatory Agency collected data in December that showed 79% of people interested in ownership of licensed marijuana facilities were white. Black people accounted for 3.8% while 1.5% were Hispanic or Latino.
LANSING, Mich. (AP) The first year of state-licensed recreational marijuana sales in Michigan saw $511 million of sales in recreational and $474 million in medical sales, generating over $100 million in tax revenue, but the state also found that the commercial marijuana industry drastically failed to attract minority business owners.
The Marijuana Regulatory Agency collected data in December that showed 79% of people interested in ownership of licensed marijuana facilities were white. Black people accounted for 3.8% while 1.5% were Hispanic or Latino.
In response, the agency’s Racial Equity Advisory Workgroup, comprised largely of people of color who are experts in equity programming, made recommendations that would create partnerships with large businesses and local municipalities to equip communities disproportionately impacted by marijuana being illegal until 2018.
From seed to sale: Marijuana industry growing in Western Michigan
Growers and retailers look to boost local economy
Cathie Crew, cathie.crew@pioneergroup.com
FacebookTwitterEmail
1of6
CCG Holdings, LLC., a marijuana grow facility in Webber Township, recently began operations. The company plans to expand it grow operations in the coming months and will hold a job fair at the Webber Township Hall on Jan. 6. (Star photo/Cathie Crew) Show MoreShow Less
2of6
Fresh Water Provisioning Center is the newest marijuana retail store to come to the Baldwin area. Care By Design, Inc. plans to open the facility by the end of the year and will provide medical and adult use recreational marijuana products. The company also plans to establish a grow and processing facility in the area. (Star photo/Cathie Crew) Show MoreShow Less