| Social equity is a top priority for legalization in Rhode Island, Rep. Scott Slater said this week as an adult-use cannabis bill he sponsors heads to the House and Senate floors May 24. “The starting line isn’t the same for people in poor, urban and minority communities, and they deserve support to ensure they get the full benefit of participating in legalization,” he said. According to Slater and Senate sponsor Josh Miller, their proposal uses licensing fees and penalties to fund technical assistance and grants to applicants and communities that have been impacted by prohibition, and reserves 25% of retail licenses for social equity licensees and another 25% for worker cooperatives. But will their talk turn into action? And should social equity in the industry be dependent upon legislation? Those questions—and many others—will take center stage during Cannabis Business Times’ Cannabis Conference Aug. 23-25 in Las Vegas. A powerhouse panel that incudes Minority Cannabis Business Association Executive Director Amber Littlejohn will offer an in-depth take on how cannabis companies can develop meaningful and actionable social equity priorities during one of our unparalleled educational sessions. Littlejohn outlined some of the obstacles surrounding social equity programs in a March 2021 interview with CBT Managing Editor Patrick Williams. “One thing that's happening the right way is that around the country, we are definitely seeing that there is a commitment to equity being a part of any legal framework,” she said. “And that's promising, and that's heartening. I feel one of the biggest challenges, though, is ensuring that the language that's included and the provisions that are put forth are truly actionable and meaningful.” Meaningful action is also in the hands of industry leaders, who can step up to use their own platforms and build partnerships to create equity in the cannabis industry. Littlejohn will be joined by co-panelists Chima Enyia, the executive VP of the Social Equity & Educational Development (SEED) initiative at Cresco Labs, and Karim Webb, CEO of 4thMVMT. They will share programs that their cultivation, dispensary and hemp businesses are implementing right now. What programs do you have going on? Reach out and let us know. -Tony Lange, Associate Editor | 