Policy & Equity Define 5th Annual Cannabis Opportunities Conference in Philadelphia

On Friday September 23rd and Saturday, September 24th Senator Street hosted the 5th Annual Cannabis Opportunities Conference with the Diasporic Alliance of Cannabis Opportunities during Black Cannabis Week.

“I’m proud to join DACO in convening the 5th Annual Cannabis Opportunities Conference in Philadelphia. Cannabis prohibition will end. It is an issue whose time has come,” said Senator Street “It is the government’s responsibility to ensure that Pennsylvania's expanding cannabis marketplace and economy are diverse and inclusive. As such we must be intentional about black and brown participation in every facet of the cannabis economy and industry.”

Key sponsors for this event included Black Cannabis Week, Ethos, Minorities for Medical Marijuana, Philadelphia Cannabis Business Association, Pot Profits for Pennsylvanians Project, All Together Now Pennsylvania and CannabisRadio.com, whose broadcast of the policy panels can be found here. Cherron Perry Thomas, founder of Diasporic Alliance of Cannabis Opportunities shared that “Part of the success to this newer cannabis industry is the intentional inclusion of Black and Brown communities. So far, we’ve been an after, many of us are demanding that policy extends beyond the harm that has been done with promotion and the war on drugs. First educating our communities about the opportunities and potential of repairing our communities, is a way to move past the stigma on the real work.”

The two-day conference included policy panels on day one where participants heard from legislators on state and federal Adult Use policy including Lieutenant Governor Fetterman on PA’s Expedited Pardon Program for cannabis convictions. US Senator Cory Booker participated virtually and called it a historic opportunity to right historical wrongs, calling his federal efforts to end cannabis prohibition – with a focus on restorative justice – “a legalization movement that must be about justice, opportunity and accountability.”

Day two included a variety of programming and keynote speakers which included: medical marijuana registration (30), a career fair, Caregiver Education, criminal record expungement (60 individuals), professional work-ready services and workshops on accessing the cannabis industry.

A full stream of the event can be found on Facebook, @SenSharifStreet.