For years, progressive cannabis activists have called for “equity.” They mean that the communities of color who have suffered most from the war on drugs and mass incarceration should profit from the industry’s rise. It’s an admirable idea that has proven very difficult to implement.   

I spoke to Eaze executive Elizabeth Ashford, 4thMVMT CEO Karim Webb and former Massachusetts regulator Shaleen Title about what's not working, and how to fix it.
WeedWeek

• Our conversations took place as industry consolidation makes it more difficult for smaller equity-designated businesses to compete.
   

Here's what they said.

Related:

• For MLK Day, Canna Law Blog has a post on cannabis and civil rights.
• Illinois is sitting on $62M in pot tax revenue earmarked for equity purposes.
  Chicago Tribune

In this business, marketing is everything.

With hundreds of companies selling relatively undifferentiated products, the race to dominate the industry can be understood largely in terms of who develops the deepest brand loyalty and exploits it most effectively.

• For operators, this means everything from how they package product and sync their brand with customers' values, to tracking buyer sentiment before, during and after purchases.

This week the Cannabis Marketing Association hosted a series of TED-style talks on the future of branding the plant. Here are a few key insights:
WeedWeek

• Curaleaf CMO Jason White, whose credits include Beats by Dre and Nike, laid out  how the big MSO sees the world.
• Michael Brooks, a marketing strategist with Blue Dream Social, discussed why cannabis brands need to pay attention to Facebook and Google, despite "animosity" for big tech.
• Changemaker Creative packaging designer Lilli Keinaenen focused on the brand-value of sustainability, or, as she put it, how “green attracts green.”

There's lots more...

Plus: 

• Motley Fool asked what major brand will invest in cannabis next?
• Pistil Data CEO Jeffrey Graham argued California brands will own the future.

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Here's what's happening:

• New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo laid out more of his plan for legalizing REC. It includes a potency tax, something I'm not sure any other market uses.
  New York Now 
• A federal court in Pennsylvania said a woman's claim of disability discrimination can move forward after she was fired for MED use. 
  National Law Review
• CPA Practice Advisor puts together seven reasons accountants should serve the industry.
• France has launched a "public consultation" on legalizing REC.
  France 24
• Rolling Stone explains Delta-8 THC, a technically, possibly legal cannabinoid that gets you high, and whether the DEA will shut down the booming market.
• Science magazine Discover explains why terpenes "make cannabis better medicine."
• Keegan Peterson, CEO of cannatech company Wurk died suddenly. A GoFundMe to support his family has been set up. Here's his appearance on the WeedWeek podcast, where he discussed how the company sought to normalize the industry. 
• UFC has removed its penalty for fighters testing positive for pot, unless they seem high on bout day.
  NBC-Las Vegas