As Juneteenth approaches, celebrations across the U.S. light up with food, music, reflection, and remembrance. Officially recognized as a federal holiday in 2021, Juneteenth marks the true end of slavery in the United States—June 19, 1865—when Union troops arrived in Galveston, Texas to enforce the Emancipation Proclamation. But in 2025, as the world continues to reckon with racial justice, a different kind of liberation is finding its way into the conversation: cannabis reform.
Cannabis and Black liberation are more connected than many realize. From jazz musicians in Harlem to civil rights organizers in Oakland, cannabis has long existed at the margins of Black expression, healing, and rebellion. Yet, for decades, Black communities have been disproportionately criminalized for its use. According to a 2020 ACLU report, Black people are 3.64 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than white people, despite equal usage rates.
This isn’t just a matter of law—it’s a matter of justice.
Juneteenth offers a powerful opportunity to examine the cannabis industry through a liberation lens. With legalization spreading across the U.S., cannabis is now a multi-billion-dollar business. But who’s profiting? Spoiler: it’s not the communities most impacted by the War on Drugs. Less than 2% of cannabis businesses are Black-owned, according to Leafly’s 2022 Jobs Report. Many formerly incarcerated individuals—locked up for doing what’s now legal—are locked out of the industry due to complicated licensing systems and lingering stigma.
But that’s changing. Slowly.
Across the country, Black entrepreneurs are reclaiming space in the cannabis world—turning generational pain into entrepreneurial power. Programs like The Equity Trade Network and Cannaclusive are working to ensure minority-owned brands thrive in this new green economy. Some states like Illinois and New York have passed social equity provisions to prioritize licenses for individuals from impacted communities. It’s not perfect—but it’s progress.
Cannabis also holds cultural weight within the Black community beyond politics or business. It’s tied to healing. Spirituality. Music. Community. From soul sessions where blunts are passed like communion, to wellness circles embracing CBD for mental health—weed isn’t just recreational. It’s restorative.
So this Juneteenth, the conversation around liberation should extend to plant medicine. How do we heal from centuries of systemic harm? How do we reimagine freedom—not just as the absence of chains, but the presence of opportunity, wellness, and self-determination?
That’s where cannabis comes in.
Let’s use Juneteenth not just to honor the past, but to plant seeds for the future—one that includes reparative justice, inclusive economics, and unapologetic joy.
As we spark the grill and maybe even a joint, let’s remember: true liberation includes the right to live free, to heal freely, and to thrive—on our own terms.
Sources:
ACLU Report: “A Tale of Two Countries: Racially Targeted Arrests in the Era of Marijuana Reform” (2020) Leafly Jobs Report (2022) Cannaclusive ( cannaclusive.com) The Equity Trade Network ( www.equitytradenetwork.org) The New York Times: “Legal Marijuana Is Becoming a Real Industry. Black Americans Are Being Left Out.” (2021)Related Articles
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