The Triibe: Social equity weed entrepreneurs speak out against unregulated hemp undercutting their business

SOURCE: The Triibe

EXCERPT:

Akele Parnell is among the many Black owners of cannabis dispensaries who are frustrated by the lack of hemp regulation in Chicago and Illinois. He says he wants to see regulation that not only ends the marketing of intoxicating hemp products as cannabis, but also completely stops the sale of those products in smoke shops. Parnell says these shops undercut social equity weed dispensary owners, like himself, who face numerous hurdles to open dispensaries.

Over the last six years, Parnell says he’s faced several challenges while trying to open his Chicago-based weed dispensary Ümi in the Lincoln Park neighborhood. Some of those hurdles, he said, include high real estate costs, community opposition and legal battles with anti-weed organizations that opposed the dispensary; the latter resulted in high legal fees.

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“Myself and other members of the social equity [cannabis] program face hurdles to getting licensed and operating our businesses. We put in tremendous time, energy, and personal financial risk because we believe the opportunity will be worth it,” Pike said. “But today, licenses like mine are struggling to survive because of unregulated hemp flooding the market.”