{"id":4146,"date":"2022-02-09T01:02:39","date_gmt":"2022-02-09T01:02:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/wp-home\/?p=192511"},"modified":"2022-02-09T01:02:39","modified_gmt":"2022-02-09T01:02:39","slug":"how-the-hood-incubator-advances-change-in-the-cannabis-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/?p=4146","title":{"rendered":"How the Hood Incubator advances change in the cannabis industry"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>  <title>How the Hood Incubator advances change in the cannabis industry | 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. 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You&#8217;re not old enough to use Leafly.<\/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.com\/info\/terms-of-use\">Terms of Use<\/a><br \/>\nand <a class=\"py-xl\" data-testid=\"pp-link\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/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 class=\"has-drop-cap\">When it comes to OGs of the long and challenging battle for social equity, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hoodincubator.org\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">The Hood Incubator<\/a> stands out as an essential part of the conversation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote has-text-align-right\">\n<p>\u201cWe know that the cannabis community is an under-tapped political power, as evidenced by how we\u2019ve been seeing cannabis sweep the nation. I envision 2024, 2030 and beyond, the cannabis community can start being a voting block to decide some things. <\/p>\n<p><cite>Lanese Martin<\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>There are many organizations out there focused on helping Black and Brown people learn how to prosper in the legal cannabis industry. But few organizations have the lobbying power or creative approach to legislation compared to what The Hood Incubator has harvested since launching in 2017.<\/p>\n<p>Five years later, they are still finding new ways to empower US communities most harmed by the racist and unjust criminalization of the War on Drugs. Keep reading to learn how they use their knowledge, influence, and endurance to help undo the Drug War\u2019s lasting harm and enable a greener future for the entire industry.<\/p>\n<h2 id=\"h-what-does-the-hood-incubator-do\">What does the Hood Incubator do?<\/h2>\n<p>The Hood Incubator is a non-profit organization that aims to make success more universally equitable for Black and Brown folks in the legal weed industry. The incubator was founded by Oakland natives Lanese Martin, Ebele Ifedigbo, and Biseat Horning. <\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\">\n<p>\n[embedded content]\n<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n<p>They saw that the cannabis industry was and still is mad homogeneous and dominated by white males, and basically said \u2018Nah, we won\u2019t stand for this, someone has to do something.\u2019<\/p>\n<p>They created The Hood Incubator with the hopes of nurturing financial success for the Black and Brown pioneers of the cannabis market. <\/p>\n<p>All while asking some of cannabis\u2019 most important questions like: <em>Shouldn\u2019t the prosperity of the legal industry be accessible to those who\u2019ve paid the highest prices to make it all possible?<\/em><\/p>\n<p>The organization helps cannabis entrepreneurs and companies <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/industry\/cannabis-business-models-101\">learn everything about the legal game<\/a> from getting licensed, to finding facilities, to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/cannabis-101\">education around the plant.<\/a> and is built on three main pillars: <\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>building a movement<\/li>\n<li>community education<\/li>\n<li>economic development<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>All of the essential operations of running a cannabis business are taught through their Pre-Seed Business Accelerator. <\/p>\n<h2>Creating a new lane<\/h2>\n<p>The Hood Incubator\u2019s founders all had different entry points into the legal cannabis business. But all three recognized early that they didn\u2019t want to start on the plant-touching side of things. <\/p>\n<p>Since they all saw a shared passion for helping other minorities that <em>did<\/em> want to breed, cultivate, and sell cannabis, the idea of being the incubator for others clicked instantly.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWell, maybe I don\u2019t need to be a permit holder,\u201d thought co-founder Lanes Martin. \u201cBut there are people that want to be and should be permitted. They\u2019re going to need some help on the economic development front, business acceleration, policy advocacy, [and] on the voter power movement building,\u201d says Martin during a Zoom call.<\/p>\n<p>Currently, the Hood Incubator\u2019s business accelerator is on hiatus, but while Martin, Ifedigbo, and Horning work on the next iteration of their vision, they\u2019re looking for new allies in their fight against an unjust industry.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-pullquote is-style-solid-color\">\n<blockquote>\n<p>\u201c<strong>We\u2019ll be bringing the business accelerator back sometime in 2022. Usually what we do is we partner with an organization that has a background in both adult education and working with people from communities of color.\u201d<\/strong> \u2013 <\/p>\n<p><cite><em>Lanese Martin, co-founder of The Hood Incubator<\/em><\/cite><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<\/figure>\n<p>One example of an organization they partner with is <a href=\"https:\/\/uptimacoop.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Uptima Cooperative,<\/a> which runs a series of <a href=\"https:\/\/uptimacoop.com\/our-bootcamps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Uptima Business Bootcamps<\/a> that aim to help entrepreneurs get started.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe partner with Uptima Business Bootcamp to deliver the bulk of the business education,\u201d says Martin. \u201cWe bring key cannabis influencers and mentors to help create a directory of information for folks,\u201d they explain. <\/p>\n<h2>THI\u2019s impact on the cannabis industry<\/h2>\n<p>The Hood Incubator has some huge wins on their record showing that the organization on the right track towards their mission. <\/p>\n<p>For one, they have led 30-plus graduates through their Pre-Seed Accelerator who have gone on to create successful cannabis companies.<\/p>\n<p>Then there is the impact of their advocacy. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oaklandca.gov\/topics\/equity-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Oakland\u2019s Cannabis Equity Program<\/a>, as well as lobbying to make changes to the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oaklandca.gov\/topics\/2020-business-tax-rebate-program\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Equity Tax Rebate<\/a> are two of their biggest wins so far.<\/p>\n<p>And when asked about their proudest accomplishments, Lanese says, \u201c[The Hood Incubator is] really proud of a lot of the work we\u2019ve done locally with Oakland\u2019s equity program. We have the first Equity Tax Rebate program, which connects a business\u2019 profitability to their community engagement and reinvestment in their neighborhood.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Hood Incubator also helped increase the social equity budget in Governor Gavin Newsom\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.gov.ca.gov\/2021\/07\/12\/california-roars-back-governor-newsom-signs-100-billion-california-comeback-plan-to-accelerate-states-recovery-and-tackle-persistent-challenges\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">California Comeback Plan.<\/a> <\/p>\n<p>Lanese continues, \u201cOn the state level, The Hood Incubator, along with other organizations, noticed the [California] budget had 126 million [dollars] set aside for cannabis regulation enforcement, and 15 million [dollars] set aside for equity programs. We want some parity in funding, the Drug War is over, we need it to be documented in the budget. We didn\u2019t get 126 million, but we got that 15 million increased to 50 million.\u201d<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/industry\/the-dangers-of-running-a-multimillion-dollar-cash-business\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>The dangers of running a multimillion-dollar cash business<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<h2>What\u2019s next for the Hood Incubator?<\/h2>\n<blockquote class=\"instagram-media\" data-instgrm-permalink=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/p\/CZAL_A1sgcT\/?utm_source=ig_embed&amp;utm_campaign=loading\" data-instgrm-version=\"14\"><\/blockquote>\n<p>In addition to bringing back their business accelerator, in 2022, The Hood Incubator will be launching The Cannabis Justice Policy Platform. This new platform will aim to design a national social equity program that each state can use as a playbook as they legalize. <\/p>\n<p>The playbook includes community reinvestment and the creation of a fair playing field in the cannabis game. And (in case you were wondering) most of the same steps they recommend for states would also apply if cannabis is legalized on the federal level. <\/p>\n<p>The platform also aims to empower the cannabis community on a national political level. <\/p>\n<p>Martin explains, \u201cWe know that the cannabis community is an under-tapped political power, as evidenced by how we\u2019ve been seeing cannabis sweep the nation. I envision 2024, 2030 and beyond, the cannabis community can start being a voting block to decide some things. The Cannabis Justice Platform can help us assess policies that are coming out, like the Schumer bill, the Safe Banking Act, [and] the MORE Act.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The Hood Incubator has also rolled out a <a href=\"https:\/\/hoodincubator.wixsite.com\/v112220\/cannabis-justice-survey\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">Cannabis Justice Survey<\/a> to see what people really care about. The data will help establish what that platform should look like for a representative who is interested in building around the cannabis community\u2019s demands,<\/p>\n<p> <a href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/industry\/supernova-women-fight-for-equity-focused-cannabis-businesses\" class=\"wp-block-leafly-blocks-leafly-single-inline-block leafly-inline-related-story\"><\/p>\n<div class=\"border border-deep-green-alt border-l-0 border-r-0 my-xl p-md font-bold\">\n<p>Related<\/p>\n<p>Supernova Women fight for equity-focused cannabis businesses in Oakland<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/a> <\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe won\u2019t really solidify the Cannabis Justice Platform until we have at least 1,000 respondents from across the country take the survey,\u201d says Martin of their desire to \u201cget an idea about what people care about.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>\u201cI have ideas,\u201d says Martin. \u201cI\u2019m able to see things. (But) the Cannabis Justice Survey is check-in for clarification. But, we want to check and clarify that what we think we\u2019ve heard is accurate.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Whatever the group works on next, we\u2019re sure it will build on their lasting reputation as a powerhouse in the cannabis industry.<\/p>\n<p>The fight for social equity in cannabis will be long and hard. But we\u2019re here for the get-back, I promise.<\/p>\n<div id=\"author-box\" class=\"p-lg my-xxl bg-white rounded border border-light-grey elevation-low\">\n<div class=\"mb-lg\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/how-the-hood-incubator-advances-change-in-the-cannabis-industry.jpg\" alt=\"Dant\u00e9 Jordan's Bio Image\" class=\"lazyload inline-block mr-md rounded-full border border-light-grey\"> <\/p>\n<p>Dant\u00e9 Jordan<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"text-sm\">Dant\u00e9 Jordan is a former member of the Leafly Subject Matter Expert team, and current freelance writer, video producer, and media consultant specializing in cannabis culture, strains, products, education, and everything else related to that lil\u2019 green flower. Contact him at smokingwithdante on Instagram, or dantenetworks(at)gmail(dotcom). His website is www.dantejordan.com.<\/p>\n<p> <a class=\"text-sm font-bold underline text-green\" href=\"https:\/\/www.leafly.com\/news\/author\/dant-jordan\">View Dant\u00e9 Jordan&#8217;s articles<\/a> <\/div>\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. 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When it comes to OGs of the long and challenging battle for social equity, The Hood Incubator stands out as an essential part of the conversation. \u201cWe know that the cannabis community is an under-tapped political&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":4147,"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-4146","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-marijuana_information"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/02\/how-the-hood-incubator-advances-change-in-the-cannabis-industry.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4146","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=4146"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4146\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/4147"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=4146"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=4146"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thcinct.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=4146"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}