Regulated marijuana offers new chance at equity: Q&A with social justice leader Martin Luther King III

Martin Luther King III, son of the late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and co-founder of the Drum Major Institute, spoke during the conference session “Creating and Sustaining a Just and Equitable Cannabis Industry.”

After the panel discussion, King III spoke with MJBizDaily about why the regulated marijuana industry has captured his attention and his hopes for its future.

We are publishing the interview today to celebrate the start of Black History Month.

What opportunities do you see for the cannabis industry to address issues of equity?

“Anytime organized labor is engaged, it creates a real opportunity so that workers’ rights can be protected.

And it can be mutually beneficial; it does not have to be adversarial.

The fact is, this isn’t a “new” industry, but it’s going to be a huge, huge industry.

Although it’s existed for a few years, is still just scratching the surface of what it’s going to become.

If workers’ rights are protected, which is what (unions) do for certain workers in our society, it’s a good thing.

We’ve always had labor involved with the issues that we’ve been involved in.

I’m elated to have an opportunity to say, “Yes, this is a brand-new business opportunity.”

There’s so much education that has to take place around cannabis and the medicinal effects.

There are things that we don’t yet know – the potential that (cannabis has) to really help people.

That’s why I’m so happy to be a part of this effort and engaged.”

The war on drugs has affected Black and brown communities specifically. What have you witnessed?

“Over the last seven to 10 years, I’ve begun to become more engaged and involved.

There are so many disparities. You have young African, Black and brown members of our community who are in jail for things that our society has finally come around to.

One of the things we’ve got to figure out is how do we expunge records of all these people who were convicted of nonviolent crimes and given felony sentences, which is just unconscionable.

There’s a lot of work to do on that side.”

CONTINUE FOLLOWING THIS DISCUSSION HERE