Doing the Work

The cannabis industry has come a long way. But its growth hasn’t benefited everyone equally. For decades, cannabis prohibition disproportionately harmed minority communities. Then, as legalization created a booming new industry, many of the people and communities that had paid the biggest price were being left out of the opportunities it created.

That disconnect is what led Ernest Toney to start BIPOCann in 2020. His idea was refreshingly practical: meaningful change happens when people have access to the information, relationships, and partnerships they need to build something.

Taking equity from idea to action

As Toney watched the cannabis industry grow, he also watched conversations about equity grow louder. But awareness alone wasn’t enough.

“I wanted to address equity and create the biggest impact the best way that I knew how: tackling practical business challenges.”

That became the work of BIPOCann. Through mentorship, connections, partnerships, and community building, the organization has worked with more than 65 businesses, helping entrepreneurs navigate some of the very real obstacles that come with getting a cannabis business off the ground.

Sometimes progress starts with an introduction

One example Toney shares is Grassberries, whose co-founder was close to opening the doors of the business and needed some help getting across the finish line. Toney decided to reach out to Wyld.

That connection helped Grassberries get closer to the finish line, with Wyld subsidizing some of the mounting costs associated with opening the business. To Toney, it was an example of what partnership can look like when companies move beyond talking about impact and find specific ways to contribute.

“One of the things that I see Wyld doing that I wish more companies would do is not just think about revenue, but really think about the impact.”

Check out BIPOCann Business Spotlights

Soiku Bano is a family-run Colorado hash maker that specializes in solventless rosin, founded by Jose Coto. They work in small batches with carefully sourced flower to preserve as much flavor and aroma as possible.

“The people who are actually the trailblazers in the industry, those are the ones that basically were incarcerated.”

Greendoor, founded by Damon Brooks, puts together curated cannabis experience boxes that pair licensed products with food, swag, and accessories. It turns a delivery into a themed experience.

“You see all these different businesses be formed around things you’re in trouble for.”

Bachaz is a small-batch edibles company founded by Beatrice Carranza. Its gummies, dusted in chamoy and tamarindo, bring the Mexican flavors she grew up with to the dispensary shelf, and the company grew out of Colorado’s social equity program.

“It’s been 10 years [cannabis has] been legalized, and we still don’t see our flavors within this industry.”

Still doing the work

It’s like Toney says, equity may not be like it was a few years ago, but this is the work we’re doing and we’re not shying away from it.

Neither are we. There’s plenty of work still ahead, and partnerships like the one between Wyld and BIPOCann are an important way to keep moving it forward, one connection, one business, and one opportunity at a time.