logo
episode-header-image
Dec 2023
9m 16s

Would-be weed merchants hit a 'grass cei...

NPR
About this episode
For decades, states have prosecuted and imprisoned people for selling weed. Today, recreational marijuana is legal in almost half of U.S. states, and many want to give individuals who were impacted by marijuana enforcement a chance to sell it legally. But as the roughly $30 billion cannabis industry grows, are these so-called social equity programs living up to their promise?

Today on the show, why many would-be cannabis entrepreneurs find themselves hitting a 'grass ceiling'.

Related
So you want to sell marijuana across state lines (Apple Podcasts/Spotify)

For sponsor-free episodes of The Indicator from Planet Money, subscribe to Planet Money+ via Apple Podcasts or at plus.npr.org.

Music by
Drop Electric. Find us: TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Newsletter.

Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices

NPR Privacy Policy
Up next
Today
Could Meta do more to protect us from cyber scams?
Many small businesses are online now, but so are cyber criminals trying to take advantage. On today's show, how one bar owner fell victim to a Facebook scam and if big tech could do more to protect small business owners from increasing cyber attacks. Read Stephan's original piece ... Show More
9m 29s
Yesterday
Can you afford to evacuate ahead of a disaster?
We are just at the start of hurricane season, and we're already seeing the danger and tragedy brought on by storms. There's another cost that gets much less attention, but it's a gamble everyone in the path of a storm has to make.Today on the show, we examine the decision on whet ... Show More
9 m
Jul 8
Will the tax cuts pay for themselves?
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act is now law. It's expected to cost the government a pretty penny. The Congressional Budget Office predicts a $3.4 trillion increase in the deficit over ten years. This is driven by significant tax cuts, including extensions of those made in 2017. Tru ... Show More
8m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Nov 2023
So you want to sell marijuana across state lines
In the state of Oregon, there is a glut of grass. A wealth of weed. A crisis of chronic. And, jokes aside, it's a real problem for people who work in the cannabis industry like Matt Ochoa. Ochoa runs the Jefferson Packing House in Medford, Oregon, which provides marijuana growers ... Show More
23m 49s
Jan 2024
Cannabis Marketing
This week, we go one toke over the line and look at the emerging world of cannabis marketing. We start with the question - just how does a plant become illegal? We’ll explore the history of cannabis. We’ll talk about which celebrities have their own brands (Hello Willie Nelson!) ... Show More
27m 6s
Dec 2022
The Road to Legalizing Cannabis at the Federal Level - Beyond the Scenes
The cannabis industry brings in billions of dollars in legal revenue, with Big Cannabis companies leading the charge. However, cannabis offenders remain incarcerated and federal restrictions prevent them from legally benefitting from this thriving industry. BOWL PAC founder, Just ... Show More
51m 25s
Aug 2022
The Road to Legalizing Cannabis at the Federal Level
The cannabis industry brings in billions of dollars in legal revenue, with Big Cannabis companies leading the charge. However, cannabis offenders remain incarcerated and federal restrictions prevent them from legally benefitting from this thriving industry. BOWL PAC founder, Just ... Show More
50m 40s
Sep 2022
The Road to Legalizing Cannabis at the Federal Level - Beyond the Scenes
The cannabis industry brings in billions of dollars in legal revenue, with Big Cannabis companies leading the charge. However, cannabis offenders remain incarcerated and federal restrictions prevent them from legally benefitting from this thriving industry. BOWL PAC founder, Just ... Show More
51m 10s
May 2021
Celebrating The Legacy, The Plant And The People
As the cannabis community has grown into an industry it's imperative we don't lose track of who and what got us here so today we launch a new Legacy series of the podcast where I talk to people coming from the legacy side of cannabis, way back before the Green Rush started. In Ji ... Show More
39m 56s
Apr 2023
Pot Lots Part 1: Birth of a Marijuana Market
New York City has long been seen as a holy grail for the legal weed industry, with millions of potential customers. And last year New York state started handing out licenses for its first recreational cannabis shops, the culmination of a series of moves that have seen marijuana d ... Show More
22m 24s
Apr 2017
What Happens When You Legalise Cannabis?
In 2014 marijuana was legalised for recreational use in Colorado and Washington states in the US. Oregon, Alaska, California, Nevada and Massachusetts have all followed. These votes were the result of fierce campaigns. Activists argued that changing the law would eliminate the bl ... Show More
23m 25s
Oct 2022
Legal weed’s half-baked promise
Pro-pot Californians said legalizing marijuana would end the state’s black market for reefer. Instead, says LA Times investigative reporter Paige St. John, the illegal market is bigger than ever.This episode was produced by Victoria Dominguez, edited by Matt Collette, fact-checke ... Show More
27m 6s