The city of Long Beach has an obligation to help build communities that have been affected by the War on Drugs. Cannabis education should be part of the city’s Social Equity program, rather than leaving the responsibility of education solely in the hands of the industry.
Long Beach has a history of being progressive toward cannabis and as a result, attracting a booming industry.
According to MJBiz, only 2% of social equity applicants are operating in Long Beach, CA.
Even when the city expanded its social equity program in Oct. 2021, the eight applicants that applied are still awaiting licenses to operate.
For two decades, the Long Beach Collective Association (LBCA) has been a backbone for the industry; an established organization whose primary goal was to help the city council with cannabis regulations.
The LBCA has become more than a legal organization and has ventured into community building, education and cannabis reform.
Although the city attorney is in charge of cannabis oversight, cannabis education falls under the department of public health. A visit to their site will simply lead you to more links that will direct you to places where you can get that education.
In other words, cannabis education is limited, hard to find, and jargon.
Pam Chotiswatdi, MPH is an instructor for the cannabis course at LBCC and a director of Community Education and Executive Administration for the LBCA.
“The illness (of the wars on drugs) is put on the industry,” Chotiswatdi explained.
The government does not like to take the blame for bad policy and the war on drugs.
LBCA has addressed the lack of resources and education by establishing the first cannabis course at LBCC.
However, LBCC is unable to offer financial aid for the course and students interested would have to pay $420 to get this education.
The city should reform its cannabis equity program and offer the course to students at no cost, rather than have the LBCA running for membership dues to help fund the program.
If Long Beach seeks to have an active social equity program, funding cannabis education is necessary.