There is a distinct lack of minority ownership and small businesses in Michigan’s cannabis scene. Detroit is especially screwed with a recreational marijuana ordinance that was supposed to give preference to life-long Detroiters and right the wrongs of a community decimated by the War on Drugs. To be frank, that shit backfired massively, and Detroiters are (unsurprisingly) left at a standstill while suburban cities and big businesses turn a profit. Despite it all, industry leaders expect to see a boom in minority-owned canna-businesses next year.

Cannabis companies like Fluresh are working to make this happen. Fluresh has partnered with the Black and Brown Cannabis Guild to create a mentorship program for entrepreneurs wanting to break out into the cannabis industry called the Fluresh Five Accelerator.

The program provides industry knowledge and resources to “make the cannabis industry more diverse and equitable for victims of the War on Drugs” and had its first round of participants this year.

Applications for the program’s 2022 session are currently open until Jan. 15. While the criteria do not specify it’s only for BIPOC entrepreneurs, the goal is to boost inclusivity. The company has also been a supporter of the Last Prison Project, which advocates for the release of prisoners who are in jail for marijuana-related offenses.

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