It’s “4/20” week and Oakland is, well, rolling out a certification program meant to promote local cannabis businesses whose founders were impacted by the War on Drugs.
The city’s 9-year-old Cannabis Equity Program requires Oakland to issue at least half of all permits for cannabis businesses to applicants who are low-income, are based in designated neighborhoods, or have a previous cannabis-related conviction.
These businesses, which can be cultivators, labs, delivery services, and more, get their application fees waived and receive technical assistance.
Now, they also receive a label for their products, verifying that they come from a “Legendary” equity business. Think “Fair Trade” certification stickers on bananas or “Kosher” and “Halal” labels on packaged meat.
According to the city, the “Oakland Legendary Cannabis Certified Equity Label” is the country’s first program identifying equity cannabis products.
This label is now affixed to Oakland’s equity cannabis products and retailers.
“These are the operators who defined the culture and perfected the craft long before there was a legal market,” said Dale Sky Jones, chancellor of Oaksterdam University, in a press release. The cannabis education institution is co-sponsoring the Legendary certification program with the city.
“When you buy Oakland Legendary, you aren’t just supporting a local business; you are getting access to the most authentic, high-caliber cannabis in the world,” Jones said.
In the press release, Rickey McCullough of the dispensary Root’d in the 510, said, “It’s very important to highlight brands from operators who were disproportionately affected by the War on Drugs and educate the consumer on the importance of supporting equity brands that have shaped the cannabis culture and community.”
Many of the newly labeled Legendary items are available at the Telegraph Avenue dispensary, as well as at Kanna, from True Deliveries, and more.
The new label isn’t just being added to edibles and prerolls; it’s also on t-shirts and hats proclaiming “I Hella ♡ Oakland Legendary Cannabis” and on billboards along I-880.
Oakland has 50 permitted cannabis equity businesses, including a number that the city doesn’t list publicly for security reasons, according to a city spokesperson. So far, 15 brands are part of the public Legendary campaign, which is supported by the Equity Trade Network.
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