{"id":1367,"date":"2021-09-27T19:06:28","date_gmt":"2021-09-27T19:06:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=179489"},"modified":"2021-09-27T19:06:28","modified_gmt":"2021-09-27T19:06:28","slug":"she-has-to-wait-5-years-to-work-in-weed-why-exactly","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=1367","title":{"rendered":"She has to wait 5 years to work in weed. Why, exactly?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>She has to wait 5 years to work in weed. Why, exactly? &#8211; Leafly<\/title>     <!-- This is Index Exchange, a script\/\/3rd-party integration that interjects GAM. It needs to be 'ahead' of GTM in the DOM, which comes from Cephalopod. GTM loads GAM. This script needs to setup it's interjection stuff before GAM loads. --> <!-- End Index Exchange --> <!-- Quotes = strings--><!-- No quotes = boolean-->\t   <!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO Premium plugin v17.1.2 (Yoast SEO v17.1) - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->                  <!-- \/ Yoast SEO Premium plugin. --> <\/p>\n<p> <!-- BEGIN Sailthru Horizon Meta Information --><\/p>\n<p><!-- END Sailthru Horizon Meta Information -->  <!-- Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- End Google Publisher Tag --> <!-- Google Tag Manager --> <!-- End Google Tag Manager --> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat --><br \/>\n <!-- Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <!-- End Google Tag Manager (noscript) -->   <title>Leafly<\/title>     <title>Leafly \u00ae<\/title>                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                              <title>Loading\u2026<\/title>     <\/p>\n<div class=\"bg-white fixed flex hidden inset-0 items-start md:h-auto md:items-center overflow-auto\" id=\"age-gate-container\">\n<div class=\"bg-white md:h-auto mx-auto p-lg text-sm w-full\" id=\"age-gate\">\n<p><label for=\"select-country\">Where are you from?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__info\">\n<p><label for=\"select-province\">Which part of Canada?<\/label><\/p>\n<div class=\"age-gate__age hidden\"><\/div>\n<p class=\"error error--underage hidden\">Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/p>\n<p class=\"error error--unavailable hidden\">Sorry, Leafly isn&#8217;t available in your location yet.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"hidden age-gate__loading\">Redirecting you to<span class=\"redirect-domain\"><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"text-xs mt-auto\">By accessing this site, you accept<br \/>\nthe <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"tou-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.ca\/info\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"container my-xl\">\n<div class=\"row\">\n<div class=\"col md:col-9\" id=\"article-content\">\n<p>When she\u2019s talking about cannabis, Anya Nicola\u2019s voice is electric.<\/p>\n<p>The Renfrew, Ont. mom of four has a long history with the plant, first as an herbal adjunct remedy, something her family practiced frequently growing up in Jamaica. <\/p>\n<p>As a teenager, she used cannabis for recreational purposes. And later, it became even more meaningful\u2014it was and continues to be a crucial tool in recovery.<\/p>\n<p>While she has many of the qualities of a passionate cannabis entrepreneur or a star employee, Nicola hasn\u2019t felt like she can find her place in the industry.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-cannabis-pardons-are-inaccessible-for-many\">Cannabis pardons are inaccessible for many<\/h2>\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ll admit it,\u201d Nicola shares on the phone, carefully. \u201cI was selling dime bags just to pay my rent as a student here in Ontario.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAnd because of any trouble that I may have gotten into, there\u2019s a possibility that I may never even be able to legally work in the cannabis industry.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The trouble she\u2019s referring to resulted in a criminal record, something she has looked into getting <a href=\"https:\/\/www.publicsafety.gc.ca\/cnt\/trnsprnc\/brfng-mtrls\/prlmntry-bndrs\/20201201\/001\/index-en.aspx\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">pardoned<\/a> before applying for jobs. She was warned that the process could take up to five years, if she hires a consultant, the process might be expedited. <\/p>\n<p>But it\u2019s not cheap, nor guaranteed.<\/p>\n<p>As a Black woman bringing up four kids on her own in a pandemic, the stakes feel too high for the level of risk required.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cWe need to give back to the people that paved the way, even though it was an illegal industry at the time. This industry wouldn\u2019t be here if it wasn\u2019t for them.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><cite>Trang&nbsp;Trinh, CEO of TREC Brands.<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>But she\u2019s still holding out hope that the Canadian government and the industry work to reduce the barriers to those impacted by prohibition and policing practices that have unfairly impacted Black and Indigenous communities.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-failure-to-include-racialized-groups-in-legalization\">Failure to include racialized groups in legalization<\/h2>\n<p>Equity problems in the Canadian cannabis industry\u2014race, gender, access to capital, to name a few\u2014aren\u2019t new.<\/p>\n<p>As more states south of the border legalize and legislators debate the details of federal cannabis reform, equity, inclusion and repairing the damage of the war on drugs is top of mind for many legislators, advocates and members of the burgeoning industry.<\/p>\n<p>Something that many are pointing out was not as much of a priority when Canada\u2019s Cannabis Act was being created. But it\u2019s not too late, say drug policy researchers and industry reps.<\/p>\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img width=\"2560\" height=\"1707\" alt class=\"wp-image-179641 has-ll lazyload\" data-srcset=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/she-has-to-wait-5-years-to-work-in-weed-why-exactly.jpg,compress&amp;w=550 550w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/she-has-to-wait-5-years-to-work-in-weed-why-exactly.jpg,compress&amp;w=740 740w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/she-has-to-wait-5-years-to-work-in-weed-why-exactly.jpg,compress&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/she-has-to-wait-5-years-to-work-in-weed-why-exactly.jpg,compress&amp;w=1480 1480w\"><figcaption>For folks like Nicola, the pardon process is lengthy and difficult. (Adobe Stock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cWhile there have been some limited initiatives to facilitate greater industry diversity, there is a notable absence of government regulation and adoption of programs that would structurally address the underrepresentation of racialized groups that were disproportionately targeted and punished under prohibition,\u201d reads a <a href=\"https:\/\/cdpe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dlm_uploads\/2020\/10\/How-Diverse-is-Canada%E2%80%99s-Legal-Cannabis-Industry_CDPE-UofT-Policy-Brief_Final.pdf\">2020 report<\/a> by University of Toronto\u2019s Centre on Drug Policy Evaluation. <\/p>\n<p>It urged all three levels of government to create social equity programs to provide entry points to those who qualify and provide business mentorship and financial support.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-government-initiatives-needed-for-an-equitable-industry\">Government initiatives needed for an equitable industry<\/h2>\n<p>The Cannabis Council of Canada and its membership of hundreds of licensed cannabis companies are also pushing for more government initiatives designed to create a more equitable sector.<\/p>\n<p>The organization, headed by former Ontario Liberal MPP George Smitherman, included equity issues such as record expungement and investing in diversity programs. <\/p>\n<p>Prior to the recent federal election, the council created a <a href=\"https:\/\/cdpe.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/dlm_uploads\/2020\/10\/How-Diverse-is-Canada%E2%80%99s-Legal-Cannabis-Industry_CDPE-UofT-Policy-Brief_Final.pdf\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cannabis Voter Checklist<\/a> to educate MPs and candidates. Smitherman says part of the problem at this stage is that MPs aren\u2019t aware enough of the inequities of the sector.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\"><\/figure>\n<p>\u201cRight now, in Ottawa, the cannabis relationship is entirely delegated to Health Canada, and we need more interested members of parliament,\u201d he tells Leafly by phone. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cHighlighting to them the range of issues that includes unmet social progress concerns is really helpful because those issues really resonate with a lot of members of parliament of different political stripes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>But he concedes that so far, the effort hasn\u2019t resonated with MPs and candidates.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-non-profit-cannabis-organization-left-on-read\">Non-profit cannabis organization left on read<\/h2>\n<p>The government also hasn\u2019t yet responded to advocacy group Cannabis Amnesty, which has long petitioned to expunge criminal records.<\/p>\n<p>Last September, the organization requested the creation of a <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cannabisamnesty.ca\/racial_equity_impact_assessment_of_the_cannabis_act\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Racial Equity Impact Assessment of the Cannabis Act<\/a> as part of the planned three-year review of the Act. <\/p>\n<p>The report examines its impacts on BIPOC communities in areas such as mental and physical health of consumers; policing practices; industry participation and its barriers.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-xxl wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-related-articles\">\n<p><h2>What\u2019s new<\/h2>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>\u201cAnswering these questions is critical to determining whether the Cannabis Act has decreased the disproportionate way in which cannabis laws have negatively impacted BIPOC communities, or whether it merely continues this unacceptable legacy of system racism,\u201d they stated in the report.<\/p>\n<p>Although they have yet to hear back, Cannabis Amnesty\u2019s director of research, Akwasi Owusu-Bempah, said he still hopes to hear back in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-companies-driving-social-equity-are-few-and-far-between\">Companies driving social equity are few and far between<\/h2>\n<p>There are some, but not many, companies that have built equity and social justice into their business plan. <\/p>\n<p>One example is Toronto-based TREC Brands. They donate <a href=\"https:\/\/www.trecbrands.com\/10forgood\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">10% of profits<\/a> to organizations like SickKids, University Health Network, and Cannabis Amnesty. TREC picks specific causes within their communities to donate to and actively encourages their consumer base to make nominations as well. <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe listen to our employees about what organizations they want to support, and also our consumer base,\u201d Trang&nbsp;Trinh, CEO of TREC Brands tells Leafly. Diversity and inclusion are fundamentally important to Trinh\u2014something she was heavily involved with at both Loblaws and Deloitte, where she previously worked.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe need to give back to the people that paved the way, even though it was an illegal industry at the time. This industry wouldn\u2019t be here if it wasn\u2019t for them,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-delayed-inclusion-shouldn-t-be-good-enough\">Delayed inclusion shouldn\u2019t be \u2018good enough\u2019<\/h2>\n<p>For Anya Nicola, being able to learn online from her community has been exceptionally valuable. <\/p>\n<p>To stay involved, she joined <a href=\"https:\/\/www.afrocannadabudsistas.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Afro Canada Bud Sistas<\/a>, a community of more than 800 women who aim to normalize cannabis. <\/p>\n<p>She says it makes her feel less alone, particularly as a person in recovery who needs support. \u201cWho else is out there supporting us?\u201d she says. \u201cWe\u2019re all we\u2019ve got. And unfortunately, no one is looking at us and making us a priority.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>It will take her five years before she can pursue her dream, due to the lengthy pardon process. So for now, she\u2019s holding off on a career in cannabis.<\/p>\n<div class=\"leafly-sailthru-signup p-lg my-xl bg-white rounded elevation-low border border-light-grey\">\n<p class=\"text-xs pt-lg\">By submitting this form, you will be subscribed to news and promotional emails from <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\">Leafly<\/a> and you agree to Leafly&#8217;s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/tos\">Terms of Service<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/company\/privacy-policy\">Privacy Policy<\/a>. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email messages anytime.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p> <!-- Chartbeat --> <!-- End Chartbeat -->  <!--\nPerformance optimized by W3 Total Cache. Learn more: https:\/\/www.boldgrid.com\/w3-total-cache\/ Served from: _ @ 2021-09-27 15:13:48 by W3 Total Cache\n--><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>She has to wait 5 years to work in weed. Why, exactly? &#8211; Leafly Leafly Leafly \u00ae Loading\u2026 Where are you from? Which part of Canada? Darn! You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly. Sorry, Leafly isn&#8217;t available in your location yet. Redirecting you to By accessing this site, you accept the Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. When she\u2019s talking about cannabis, Anya Nicola\u2019s voice is electric. The Renfrew, Ont. mom of four has a long history with the plant, first as an herbal adjunct remedy, something her family practiced frequently growing up in Jamaica. As a teenager, she&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1367","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1367","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1367"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1367\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1367"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1367"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1367"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}