U.S. Rep. Donald Payne, Jr. (D-10) is “outraged” New Jersey denied medical cannabis licenses to all 56 Black-owned businesses who applied.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
“I am outraged to hear that Black-owned businesses have been shut out of the state’s cannabis marketplace. Black users are four times more likely to be arrested for marijuana possession than white users, even though overall use for both groups is almost the same,” Payne said in a statement.
“New Jersey has a chance to correct this inequality and allow people abused by the system to finally benefit from it with a fair distribution of cannabis business license. Instead, we are seeing the same inequality with these licenses that we see in marijuana arrests. Gov. Phil Murphy promised that the state’s cannabis industry would right the wrongs of the past as it concerns social justice. Now, New Jersey needs to uphold this promise.”
Payne’s comments come after the African American Chamber of Commerce said that Black entrepreneurs had been excluded from New Jersey’s cannabis business.
“Many Black-owned businesses have been trying to get into the cannabis industry since 2012 when cannabis for medicinal purposes became legal in New Jersey,” AACCNJ President and CEO John Harmon, Jr. said in his owned statement.
“No Black-owned business received a license back then, and none has received a license since the legalization of cannabis for recreational use thus far. It’s a costly proposition for Black license applicants to wait indefinitely while the CRC drags its feet in awarding licenses.”
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Payne is useless. Vote him out!
Would love to see what the quals for obtaining a lic!!
Sounds like another fixed opportunity for friends.
Surprised! Anybody!?
I think it’s unfair and unjust for not one black business owner was able to get a license that is very racist I think everyone should have an opportunity to be successful no matter race color or gender me being a biracial person I’ve had my fair share of racism done to me and it’s not right I lived in New Jersey all my life I’m still in Jersey now I live in Newark and I’ve seen so much racism coming from police and many Caucasian people it is very hard being black Hispanic and even biracial trying to get loans for businesses or trying to open your own business and the one thing that everybody can relate to cuz I am pretty sure that there are more smokers of marijuana than there is non-smokers of marijuana I thought maybe this was something that can bridge the racial in differences which me personally I feel like there shouldn’t be because we are all people we are all human beings if you want to take everybody’s skin off we will all be exactly the same so hearing now sorry reading this now and seeing that 56 black business owners were denied a license it’s really bothering me because I thought that they was going to try to change this and it looks like they’re not I bet you if it was 56 Caucasian human beings all of them would have got a license I just feel like it should be equal for everyone if you qualify then you should get it don’t matter what race you are what color skin you have what gender you are none of that should matter if you’re qualified for getting what you applied for some of these guys is probably some of the best botanist that you can find and you guys just denied them their license to practice something that they’ve been practicing for a long time and you never know if one of these guys could have had a breakthrough with marijuana that could cure cancer or a cure something or it can do something great and you just denied them that’s unfair and unjust New Jersey you need to change it I am a resident of New Jersey 41 years I think it’s time for a change give people a chance give human beings a chance regardless of race skin color or gender thank you
How can we protest with the Black Owned Business for unfair treatment in the Cannabis licenses. That’s absolutely not fair that they are denying BLack Owned Businesses the same right of other businesses!!
ALl 56 applicants should start a class action suit.
Listen this is our life. Never going to change. When you realize that we can move forward. Look what I did. We got a white partner and everything that has to do with government we have him handle it. Let me tell you his right now from the soul. He gets approve for everything, no one looks at him wierd, they treat him better and everyone loan is approved. Nice. Work the system. Stop complaining.
Why am I not surprised? Systemic racism is alive and well. Gov. Murphy pease investigate and correct. Aside to Luis…glad you found a white person to work with you but that does not make this right. Silence never changed anything.
What a Blatant example of racism
This is outrageous and there is no way that it can be decided that it somehow is somehow coincidence. This is deliberate, this is racist and this is New Jersey! It’s not Alabama. It’s not Mississippi. It’s New Jersey where we have a governor who would not be an office but for the Black vote! Are we to believe that he didn’t know this was happening and that it took Congressman Payne to uncover? This is unacceptable on all levels and this is why people are tired of voting. What do Black people vote for? To save the nation and make a way for other people to have a better life? Hypocrite Democrats! This is not happening by chance!
Y’all put him in office twice and now he’s showing the black community what he thinks of us. No license for blacks no buildings for sell Mayor!
Did y’all think that blacks would be given a level playing field😤😤 be grateful your records are being expunged and some are out of jail that’s all y’all getting