Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition with Paul McLean

VMCC is committed to providing training and economic opportunities for individuals, especially those impacted by cannabis arrests, interested in pursuing a career in cannabis. Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition recently launched a BootCamp program which recently finished with 6 graduates who are putting together business plans in preparation for the state going legal. Advocates raise alarm about effort in Virginia to cut marijuana social equity fund https://mjbizdaily.com/advocates-concerned-about-effort-to-cut-virginia-marijuana-social-equity-fund/ Minority-business advocates are concerned about a Republican-led bill in Virginia that would eliminate social equity funding for the state’s adult-use marijuana program. Senate Bill 107, filed by state Sen. Thomas Norment Jr., would delete the line in last year’s adult-use legalization law that calls for 30% of the revenue to be funneled into a cannabis equity investment fund. It’s uncertain whether the measure has a chance of passing in the Senate, where Democrats hold a narrow majority of 21-19. But social equity advocates say the bill demonstrates an effort to dismantle provisions in the legalization bill, against the wishes of the public. The legislation emphasized licensing opportunities for small and minority-owned local businesses. “Having funding is essential to the success of an equity program, and eliminating that funding (would be) a slap in the face to those who have worked so hard to ensure Virginia has a healthy and equitable cannabis market,” BIPOCANN, Virginia Minority Cannabis Coalition, Nolef Turns and Columbia Care Join Forces to Drive Social Equity Opportunities in Virginia Cannabis Industry https://www.yahoo.com/now/bipocann-virginia-minority-cannabis-coalition-143500332.html "This type of social equity work is not just about getting a job, it’s about leveling up lives." "This is an opportunity for the Commonwealth to create a cannabis ecosystem that is built around economic inclusion. With this network of partners, we are accelerating work that I thought would take years and implementing it in just months." vmccequity.org