Since its inception, the cannabis industry continues to shatter records that no other industry has come close to doing so. By the end of the decade, legal cannabis is projected to gross more than $200 billion USD. This sector consists of businesses of all shapes and sizes with focusing varying from retail to investment, security and loss prevention, packaging, transportation, logistics, and many others. However, before the ‘ganjapreneurs’ driving the industry became legitimate, as early as the 2000s, many individuals were incarcerated for running their bud businesses. A large population of individuals is currently still behind bars for minuscule amounts of natural supplements; despite the advancements being made nation-wide on cannabis-reform. Fortunately, some states are starting to carve a path to right the wrongs imposed on these individuals. Arizona, for example, is extending an olive branch to ex-convicts to help mitigate pain and loss of time that ought to have never been stolen from them.

Check out our Top Quality CBD products

A Quick Recap On Prohibition

In the early 1900s, the state of bud would take a nosedive like none other.’ This is a time of slander and propaganda of bud unlike any time in history. Even a film produced during the Great Depression showcased the ‘horrors’ of using bud. This onslaught was led by a man named Harry Anslinger with the help of the prominent timber baron William Randolph Hearst.

The latter is best known for creating the most prominent newspaper publication of then and now: the New York Times. These men feared the versatility of bud in its industrial form: hemp. Hemp is many times stronger and more durable than materials such as cotton, timber, and nylon. These astounding feats intrigued Anslinger, Hearst, and other timber barons. However, instead of harvesting the beneficial properties of bud and hemp for consumers, Anslinger, with the help and finances of Hearst, decided to run the most vigorous smear campaign ever orchestrated against a plant.

CBD Edibles, Smokables, and much more

Arizona's Political Climate

Most consumers were under the impression that Arizona has been a ‘legal state’ for years to some degree. This is not the case. In 2010, Arizona became a green state with the help of political advocacy. Last November, Arizonans helped pass Prop 207. Today, Arizona is becoming more attractive for ex-cons seeking to enter the industry. This is because Arizona is enormous on social equity regarding the industry. Candidates who possess ‘relevant experience’ (i.e., relative misdemeanors or felonies) are given a higher priority versus those with an empty record.

The Industry Today

Since the days of prohibition, bud has become more commonplace and less taboo. As aforementioned, the bud industry is shattering sales records every month. Additionally, there is a slew of emerging markets in various states that will begin to provide bud to their residents. Globally, the bud market is also seeing steady growth and overwhelming revenue with each new fiscal year. The bud industry has diversified itself and no longer is strictly bud dispensaries and delivery services. For more information on the different types of bud business, be sure to check out our recent article on bud jobs.

How the Industry Is Getting Involved

Despite the United States House of Representatives passing a historic bill, nothing is set in stone surrounding the decriminalization of bud on a federal level. Additionally, owners and operators of bud businesses understand the repercussions bud-related offenses on one’s record can have on their professional livelihood. Therefore, companies in the bud industry prioritize candidates who have been affected by the obsolete laws surrounding the criminalization of bud. Although there is no way to make up for lost time, the least bud companies can give ex-bud convicts a chance that was outright stolen from them.