UPDATE - RECORDING AVAILABLE: Watch the recording of this program here! Password is (includes exclamation mark):
L4tP2020!(NOTE: This recording is only meant to be accessed by convention registrants and NLG members. Please do not circulate publicly.)
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Building on last year's panel - "Restorative Justice, Reparations, and the War on Drugs" - panelists will discuss how and why cannabis companies and policies should center social equity and racial justice. Now that more than half the 50 states have some form of cannabis legalization and 10+ states are touting cannabis social equity, it is crucial to understand what's working, what's not, and why. We must support campaigns led by Black and Brown communities impacted by the war on drugs and develop clear standards and oversight for social equity programs.
Sponsor: NLG Drug Policy Committee
Speakers:
Cat Packer was appointed by the Los Angeles Mayor in 2017 to serve as the first Executive Director and General Manager of the Department of Cannabis Regulation, where Packer leads licensing and regulation of commercial cannabis activity within the City and implementation of the City's cannabis policies and programs. Packer previously served as California Policy Coordinator for the Drug Policy Alliance, ensuring the equitable implementation of cannabis policy reforms. Packer also served as Campaign Coordinator for Californians for Responsible Marijuana Reform. Packer is an alumna of The Ohio State University where she received a Bachelor’s, Master’s and a Juris Doctor.
Akele Parnell is an attorney at Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights where he works to advance racial equity and inclusion in the marketplace, particularly within the cannabis industry. He is a member of the board of directors of Chicago NORML and the Cannabis Equity Illinois Coalition where he co-led the negotiation and implementation of the cannabis industry’s first community benefits agreement (CBA). He is also a member of the Diversity, Equity & Inclusion Task Force of the Cannabis Trade Federation. Previously, Akele was an in-house attorney for Chicago-based cannabis company, Green Thumb Industries Inc.
Shaleen Title was appointed in 2017 by the Massachusetts governor, treasurer, and attorney general to the Cannabis Control Commission’s social justice seat. She has won several awards for her advocacy work and efforts to bring more people of color into drug reform. Previously, she co-authored Massachusetts’ marijuana legalization and consulted on marijuana policy around the country. She served as founder of a woman-led recruiting firm and as a founding board member of the Minority Cannabis Business Association. She previously served on the board of the National Lawyers Guild. Title holds business, law, and Master’s degrees from the University of Illinois.
