After Massachusetts voted to legalize recreational marijuana, activists and lawmakers established the country's first-ever statewide pot shop equity program. The goal was to make sure the new industry benefited the same communities of color that were disproportionately harmed by the War On Drugs, and arrested and convicted at higher rates than white residents. But so far, none of the 15 recreational stores in Massachusetts are operated by people of color.
Jim Braude was joined by Boston Globe reporter Todd Wallack, who recently co-authored a Boston Globe Spotlight series on the rollout of the legal marijuana industry in the state, and entrepreneur Kobie Evans, who successfully reached a contract with the city to open a pot shop in Boston.
