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Cannabis, social equity, and developing a just market : The Indicator from Planet Money For decades, states have prosecuted and imprisoned people for selling weed. Today, recreational marijuana is legal in almost half of U.S. states, and many want to give individuals who were impacted by marijuana enforcement a chance to sell it legally. But as the roughly $30 billion cannabis industry grows, are these so-called social equity programs living up to their promise?

Today on the show, why many would-be cannabis entrepreneurs find themselves hitting a 'grass ceiling'.

Related
So you want to sell marijuana across state lines (Apple Podcasts/Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

The Indicator from Planet Money

Would-be weed merchants hit a 'grass ceiling'

Would-be weed merchants hit a 'grass ceiling'

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A cannabis dispensary operated by the Union Square Travel Agency in New York City in October 2023. The dispensary hires formerly incarcerated and legacy cannabis operators. Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images hide caption

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Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

A cannabis dispensary operated by the Union Square Travel Agency in New York City in October 2023. The dispensary hires formerly incarcerated and legacy cannabis operators.

Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images

For decades, states have prosecuted and imprisoned people for selling weed. Today, recreational marijuana is legal in almost half of U.S. states, and many want to give individuals who were impacted by marijuana enforcement a chance to sell it legally. But as the roughly $30 billion cannabis industry grows, are these so-called social equity programs living up to their promise?

Today on the show, why many would-be cannabis entrepreneurs find themselves hitting a 'grass ceiling'.

Related
So you want to sell marijuana across state lines (Apple Podcasts/Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.