Marijuana / Cannabis Among the African American
How does the Black Community View Legalized Marijuana
The subject of cannabis and how African Americans view it isn’t straightforward. Throughout the course of the War on Drugs, people of color, specifically African Americans, have been unfairly targeted and singled out for their marijuana use.
However, now that cannabis is being decriminalized and legalized across the country rapidly, many ad agencies and digital cannabis marketing groups want to reassess where African Americans stand on the subject.
Join us as we take a look into how African Americans view cannabis and the overall cannabis industry.
Here is a brief video from NORML.ORG
Legalize Marijuana from Jared K on Vimeo.
An Unfair History
History shows that African Americans and Hispanics were the focal points of the War on Drugs. Although other ethnicities were using cannabis regularly, African Americans and Hispanics were more likely to be arrested and charged.
Sadly, decades passed, and millions of African Americans and Hispanics were left in limbo with court fees, prison sentences, and the stigma of a felony on their record – all for possessing even the smallest amounts of cannabis.
If you’re wondering how audacious the situation has been, take a look at a study regarding the rate of marijuana-related arrests from the Brookings Institute. The study shows that African Americans are 3.5 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis use even though they use marijuana as often as Caucasians.
Although the current situation of cannabis legalization looks bright – it’s been beneficial overwhelmingly to Caucasians. The Caucasian demographic isn’t the only group that wants to participate in the booming cannabis industry – and it’s important to understand that African Americans are struggling to break into the scene.
Untold Potential For African American Entrepreneurs
Currently, it’s estimated that only 4% of cannabis businesses are owned by African Americans. As you can imagine, African Americans want to enter the cannabis industry. If you own a digital cannabis marketing firm or ad agency, then there’s nowhere else to focus your energy than reaching out to African American Entrepreneurs.
By doing so, you’ll reach an entirely new demographic that has so far been missed by major ad agencies. Furthermore, the cause of reaching more African American cannabis entrepreneurs is a just cause considering the fact that African Americans have been pushed back by Caucasians during the green rush.
Where To Start?
As a digital cannabis marketing agency, your best place to start reaching out to the African American community is through social media and via cannabis conferences in legal states. An example would be to hold a talk on how to create a multicultural cannabis industry in California or Illinois.
With so many states voting to legalize cannabis use, your options are nearly endless. Ad agencies, digital cannabis marketing agencies, and multicultural advocates should focus on a region to promote the cannabis industry to African American entrepreneurs.
There’s no better time than now to promote a multicultural cannabis industry and benefit minority groups that have been left out of the cannabis boom.
Additional Resources:
Helpful Links for Cannabis Marketers
- Reach Hispanic: Views on Cannabis Among Hispanics in the United States
- Alcance Media Group: Multicultural Agency that works with Cannabis / Marijuana / CBD Marketers to Reach Hispanic and other Multicultural Markets.
- Ad Age Article: Hispanic Views of Cannabis Study
- NORML.Org: working to reform Marijuana Laws