The Cannabis Health Equity Movement (CHEM) considers itself a call to action, educate, advocate, and demonstrate cannabis as a healing solution. Dedicated to building health and social equity through cannabis, CHEM spread its message by partnering with the 2021 Black CannaConference & Expo. Black CannaCon is the first-of-its-kind national conference providing professional development, education, and networking opportunities for people of color in the cannabis industry.

During the three-day event, CHEM ran its CHEM CannaCapsule – an 8-hour collection of panel discussions, keynote speeches, and special events focused on cannabis equity and education.

“The cannabis industry is growing. Systemic inequality, a lack of information, limited access to capital, and other barriers to entry keep the benefits of cannabis out of reach for many communities of color,” said Dasheeda Dawson, CHEM co-founder and Chief Strategy Officer. “Our ChemCapsule educational programming will provide participants with pathways for reaping the medical and economic benefits of the growing legal cannabis industry.”

Seventy percent of top executives at the 14 largest marijuana companies are white men. Less than 4% of all marijuana businesses are Black-owned. The CHEM Capsule goal is to help shift those numbers by providing BIPOC cannabis industry professionals and consumers with an opportunity to learn more about the cannabis industry and network and make connections necessary to advance their careers. 

The burgeoning and relatively new cannabis industry has the potential to provide opportunities otherwise unavailable to Black, Indigenous, and Latino (BIL) entrepreneurs. CHEM hopes to leverage the agricultural, industrial, medical, and nutritional innovations of cannabis to revive BIL communities most affected by the war on drugs into sustainable and resilient ecosystems that are productive sites of health, wealth, and prosperity.

Black CannaCon took place in New Orleans on November 18-20, 2021.