Black cannabis founders face tough odds — and they say “social equity” programs aren’t helping

Well-intentioned government programs were supposed to lift barriers for Black entrepreneurs. But access to capital is still a big problem.

As cannabis legalization has swept through the U.S., nearly a dozen states have adopted programs intended to help marginalized groups enter the industry. But the so-called “social equity” initiatives have fallen far short of their goals, according to entrepreneurs they were designed to help.