Exit-Now is partnering with licensed cannabis vendors and education programs across the country to help break the glass barriers preventing minorities from entering the cannabis industry.
As Madison explains, “the war on drugs, which led to mass incarcerations in minority communities for non-violent offenses, and a now-legal industry that is too often out-of-reach for these same communities.”
Aiding minorities seeking justice and assistance
Exit-Now’s fundamental belief is that “communities most impacted by the war on drugs should not continue to suffer while large corporations’ profit, and their progress hasn’t been made alone.
The organization has brought on Saint Louis University as its main partner to bring this initiative to life. Through the university’s Cannabis Science and Operations program, Exit and SLU have created the Equity-Now scholarship to create more diversity and inclusion in the local cannabis workforce.
SLU and Exit-Now have also created the Round-Up for Equity initiative giving Cannabis patients and consumers the opportunity to round-up purchases at dispensaries to help provide cannabis industry education for minorities.
Each penny collected at dispensaries will go directly to the Equity-Now scholarship fund at SLU. Swade Dispensaries is the first in the state to participate. With five medical marijuana dispensaries in Missouri, Swade is stepping up to play a role that’s been vacant in the state so far.
“By agreeing to round up to the nearest dollar in sales, per transaction patients and consumers are assisting in paying the tuition for a student to enroll and successfully complete all semesters of SLU’s Cannabis Science and Operations Certificate,” Madison said.
