Los Angeles, California – In Los Angeles, the cannabis industry was supposed to be a beacon of justice—a pathway to economic opportunity for those long targeted by the War on Drugs. But for many business owners, especially those licensed through the city’s Social Equity Program, it has become a cautionary tale of bureaucracy, debt, and disillusionment.
Though Angelenos consume millions of pounds of cannabis each year, legal dispensaries say they are hanging on by a thread. High taxes, costly fees, and lax enforcement of unlicensed shops have left licensed retailers scrambling to survive. While the city once touted its Social Equity Program as a progressive model, aimed at uplifting Black and Brown entrepreneurs disproportionately impacted by past marijuana laws, the result has been far from equitable.
Some owners have already shuttered their businesses. Others are days or weeks from doing the same. Tensions have spilled into public meetings, with confetti-throwing protests and chaotic confrontations. At the core of their frustration is a simple truth: the promises of support, resources, and fairness haven’t materialized…