MJBizMag May-June 2022 - 58

'Diamonds in the Rough'
(to) the job fair. ... And we ended up
hiring seven of the 12 people that went
through the workshop, " he explained.
Marcus also advised companies to
think carefully about how they craft
and advertise their job descriptions.
" How are you writing your job descriptions?
Where are you posting those
job descriptions? " he asked. " Are you advertising
in community newspapers that
appeal to Black and brown audiences? "
Marcus, who had a criminal
conviction for attempted purchase of
marijuana before joining Terrapin,
stressed the importance of making
second chances available to everyone.
" I had a successful journalism career
before this, so I've been very lucky, but
I'm also white, " he said.
" There's more privilege and more
opportunity that comes my way, just by
default. ... It's become very important
to me to expand that equity to others
who have experienced that. "
LOCAL LAWS COMPLICATE
EQUITY HIRING
Viridian Staffing's Bradford warned
that state and municipal laws might
limit a company's ability to hire
employees with criminal records, or at
least specific types of convictions.
" In certain states, they may have a
badging process in place that blocks
many individuals that have those
criminal convictions from working in
cannabis, " she said.
Other jurisdictions might allow
cannabis workers with criminal
records, she said, but with an extra
layer of bureaucracy.
" In Michigan, if there's a pending
charge or conviction within the past
10 years for a controlled substancerelated
felony, the licensee has to get
permission from Michigan's Marijuana
Regulatory Agency, and their process is
very subjective, " Bradford noted.
On the other hand, employing
workers with cannabis convictions
could actually ease the licensing
process in some places.
58 May-June 2022 | MJBizMagazine
Nicole
Upshaw
Peter
Marcus
Kevin Hart, left, and Kobie Evans employ previously incarcerated workers at Pure Oasis,
their marijuana store in Boston. Courtesy Photo
For example, Los Angeles social
equity applicants are supposed
to employ a certain proportion of
" transitional workers, " which includes
those with criminal records.
Similarly, Pure Oasis' Evans cited
Massachusetts requirements that cannabis
license applicants submit their
plans to help those harmed by cannabis
prohibition, including people with
drug convictions.
Gorilla Rx's Keith said such equity
requirements can align well with employment
practices.
" If, in fact, you're saying, 'Listen,
I'm actually going to recruit and train
people from these disproportionately
impacted areas,' all of a sudden, that's
your community-benefits plan, "
she said.
However, Keith said Los Angeles has
not enforced its social equity hiring
mandate, adding that it's important
for state and city governments to ensure
such decrees are fulfilled.
" That's creating equity in the
industry, and diversity, and that's
crucial. "
Solomon Israel is a
Canada-based reporter
for MJBizMagazine. Reach
him at solomon.israel@
mjbizdaily.com.
https://codelibrary.amlegal.com/codes/los_angeles/latest/lamc/0-0-0-312273 https://mass-cannabis-control.com/wp-content/uploads/200825_Guidance_on_Plans_to_Positively_Impact_Disproportionately_Harmed_People.pdf
MJBizMag May-June 2022

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