Group of diverse people smiling at Black Cannabis Week
Two women sit on stage at a conference, speaking into microphones. Behind them is a backdrop with ‘Black Cannabis WK’ logos and text.
A diverse group of people attending a conference or seminar in a brightly lit room with large windows, some listening attentively, others taking notes, with a woman standing and speaking, and a few individuals in the background looking at displays or usin
National leaders gather in Philadelphia Sept. 25-27 to advance Black entrepreneurship, workforce development, economic equity and social justice.
— Dr. Brandi Hester-Harrell, Co-Founder, Black Cannabis Week
PHILADELPHIA, PA, UNITED STATES, August 20, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ — A legal industry is creating businesses, careers and new wealth across America. But for Black communities that experienced some of the deepest consequences of cannabis criminalization, an important question remains: Will they have an equitable opportunity to benefit from what is being built now?
That question is at the center of Black Cannabis Week 2026, a national initiative bringing entrepreneurs, policymakers, students, educators, advocates and community leaders together around economic mobility, workforce development, restorative justice, entrepreneurship and community healing.
The week culminates with the Cannabis Opportunities Conference, Sept. 25-27 in Philadelphia, under the theme “Rising in Joy, Rooted in Resilience, Building What’s Next.”
“This isn’t just a cannabis conversation. It’s a conversation about ownership, jobs, education and whether communities that lived through criminalization will have a meaningful place in this new economy,” said Dr. Brandi Hester-Harrell, co-founder and executive producer of Black Cannabis Week. “We don’t want to spend another decade talking about inequity. We want to build pathways that change it.”
The three-day gathering is designed to move the conversation from inequity to opportunity. Programming includes workforce and career development, entrepreneurship support, expungement resources, scholarships for emerging leaders, public policy discussions, research, wellness programming and an economic marketplace.
For Cherron Perry-Thomas, owner of Plant and People and co-founder of the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities, economic equity must include ownership.
“Communities shouldn’t be limited to being consumers in an industry they helped shape,” Perry-Thomas said. “People deserve a chance to become owners, build careers, grow businesses and create wealth for their families. That’s what this work is about.”
BLACK CANNABIS WEEK: SEPT. 25-27
Friday, Sept. 25 — Policy & Leadership
Policy Summit, 8:30 a.m.
DoubleTree by Hilton Philadelphia Center City
High Black History Comedy Show & Fundraiser, 6 p.m.
Two Locals Brewing
Saturday, Sept. 26 — Business, Workforce & Opportunity
Cannabis Opportunities Conference & Expo, 9:30 a.m.-5 p.m.
Philadelphia
Sunday, Sept. 27 — Community & Healing
Free Community Day focused on wellness, relationship-building and sustaining the work beyond the conference.
Black Cannabis Week is an initiative of the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities (DACO), operating with nonprofit fiscal sponsorship through Marijuana Justice.
MEDIA INTERVIEWS AVAILABLE
Dr. Brandi Hester-Harrell and Cherron Perry-Thomas are available for television, radio, podcast, print and digital interviews to discuss:
Economic equity and Black entrepreneurship
Jobs and workforce development
Business ownership and generational wealth
The lasting economic impact of cannabis criminalization
Expungement and removing barriers to opportunity
Preparing the next generation for careers in emerging industries
Why Philadelphia has become a gathering place for this national conversation
Additional interviews are available with entrepreneurs, students, advocates, policy leaders and individuals directly impacted by cannabis criminalization.
MEDIA CONTACT
Theresa Spencer
Owner & Founder, Vintage Green Communications
Media Relations — Black Cannabis Week
267-997-3354
www.vintagegreeninc.com
Theresa Spencer
Vintage Green Communications
+1 267-997-3354
email us here
Visit us on social media:
LinkedIn
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Facebook
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Black Cannabis Week 2024 – Here We Come!
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Article originally published on www.einpresswire.com as Black Cannabis Week Tackles Who Gets Access to Jobs, Ownership and Wealth in a Growing Industry
