#cannabiswithpurpose
#BlackLiveMatter | #LGBTQA+ | #ReduceRecidivism
#SocialChange #FREEPalestine 
#JusticeReform #InclusiveEmployment #CommunityReinvestment
#CannabisOwnership #DiverseHiring #SustainableCannabis #ERACISM #FairOpportunities
#EqualityInCannabis #CultivatingChange #StopAsianHate
The first grow facility committed to employing formerly incarcerated individuals and their family members from the communities in which they reside.
To understand why this is important we must understand the War on Drugs and what it has done to many communities of color. The War on Drugs has resulted in disproportionate law enforcement, targeting, and incarceration of people of color and low-income communities.
Cannabis has built a bad reputation over time. It was built on the perspective that only Blacks and Hispanics were the ones to hold possession of it and, therefore, go to jail because of it.
Social Impact
There’s evidence to show that today’s youth are increasingly interested in making a positive social impact through their careers and business models. Social media rapidly exposes both the good and bad practices of businesses and young people are responding like never before in demanding that businesses, organizations, and even political leaders are combining profits with a purpose. As customers, they are seeking out businesses that strive for the greater good of our communities and those abroad and opting to spend their vacation time in ways that assist others.
As social impact projects, initiatives, and business models start sweeping the world, what exactly does it all mean?
Broadly speaking, social impact is how organizations, businesses, or individuals’ actions affect the surrounding community. It may be the result of an activity, project, program, or policy and the impact can be intentional or unintentional, as well as both positive or negative. The social impact can be felt by people directly associated with that organization or individual, or have a more far-reaching effect on people in different communities, states and even countries.
One of the most important things to keep in mind about social impact is not just talking about what you believe in, but taking action on it. With the rise of social media, it’s really easy to “share” and “like” posts and feel like you’re doing your bit, but to make a social impact, it needs to be more about action.
The way you spend your money sends a strong message to businesses and companies about their social impact practices. Whether it means opting for the fair trade option or divesting from companies that are having a negative social impact, each and every decision you make as a consumer can speak loudly. The internet is a wealth of information about ethical business practices and you can find out everything from company environmental policies to how they treat their workers, and then make decisions about how you do (and don’t) want to support.
You can also get active in your local community, whether it be with a political organization with whom you share a vision or a charity you feel strongly about. Often charities have enough people power but not enough money, so your social impact can be through raising funds or a personal donation.
One of the most important things to remember about social impact is that no individual action is too little. The problems of the world may seem vast and overwhelming, but each person doing their bit can make a huge difference and is something we can all feel good about.
Social Equity
The war on drugs has resulted in disproportionate law enforcement targeting and incarcerating people of color and people in low-income communities. The cannabis industry has really been built on the backs of black and brown people going to jail. So it is very important that we address the issues of what the war on drugs has done on these communities and try to repair them.
Social equity is about addressing those harms by giving women and people of color a seat at the table and using money from the now-legal industry to re-invest in the communities that suffered under the prohibition policy. It is also about encouraging employment and ownership opportunities in the industry.
It is very important that we address the issue of what the War on Drugs has done to many communities. and It is possible to try to repair them. The War on Drugs has resulted in disproportionate law enforcement, targeting and incarcerating multiple people of color and low-income communities. Unfortunately, the cannabis industry has built a bad reputation over the course of time. It really has been built on the perspective that only blacks and Hispanic people are the ones to hold possession of it and, therefore, go to jail. Social equity is about addressing those harms and giving women and people of color a seat at the table by using money from the now-legal industry to re-invest in the communities that suffered under the prohibition policy. It is also about encouraging employment and ownership opportunities in the cannabis industry.
Social Enterprise
What are Social Enterprises?
Social enterprises are revenue-generating businesses with a twist. Whether operated by a non-profit organization or by a for-profit company, a social enterprise has two goals:
- To achieve social, cultural, community economic or environmental outcomes
- To earn revenue
What sets us apart?
At FREE-Green, our mission is to form businesses that will create jobs and employ the formerly incarcerated, hence our slogan: Re-Entry That Works.
FREE-Green’s success starts with the establishment of businesses that are ready to employ the formerly incarcerated as they exit prison and inpatient or outpatient reentry programs. We want to encourage society to make room for them in the workforce.
Where do we start?
We start by becoming our own customers. As we begin planning the construction of our Coachella and Brooklyn sites, FREE Construction is under an agreement with our primary contractor that will revert 20% of the project builds to the enterprise.
On the surface, many social enterprises look, feel, and even operate like traditional businesses. The unique structure of a social enterprise is at the center of the business, with income generation playing an important supporting role.
FREE-Green operates as a social enterprise organization to achieve two goals:
- Maximize profit to benefit social, cultural, community economic, and environmental growth.
- Earn revenue to fund social programs and social justice.
