EPISODE 2 SYNOPSIS

Social Equity: Up in Smoke – Accela is the second installment of WebJoint’s documentary series highlighting Los Angeles’s Social Equity Program. 

The fallout stemming from the DCR’s Phase 3, Round 1 retail licensing process left many applicants confused; their application status was left at an indefinite standstill. With over 800 applicants waiting for answers, the Department of Cannabis Regulations (DCR) has faced scrutiny, a third-party audit, and an applicant-led lawsuit in the last 6 months. To ameliorate its relationship with the community, the DCR proposes several policy reforms to ensure a more equitable retail licensing process moving forward.

But how did we get here?

This documentary delves deep into the fallout of Phase 3, Round 1 of LA’s Social Equity Program through the journeys of Jumane Redway (the first application to be submitted), Evelyn Scott (who would’ve received a license had it not been for the normalization process), and Kika Keith and Madison Shockley (applicants and community leaders who took the fight directly to the city). This episode also features expert witness, Jason Frankovitz, who analyzed the technical faults of the licensing process. 

Their stories, collectively, shine a light on what is often left in the dark: the policy shortcomings of LA’s Social Equity Program, the severity of Accela’s technological mishap, and the DCR’s Normalization Process to ensure fairness.

BACKGROUND

We knew that as WebJoint, one of just a few minority-owned, minority-ran cannabis tech companies in LA, we had an obligation to the community to help them fight for equitable opportunities and participate in California’s cannabis industry. We thought we would be most valuable to the community if we created the forum for Social Equity Applicants to share their experiences with the rollout of LA’s Phase 3, Round 1 Social Equity Program. Ultimately, our goal with this project is to be a collection of stories that (1) mobilizes the community to continue the fight for equity, (2) humanizes the applicant experience, and (3) local governments to think critically about what true, equitable policy means for communities of color. 

We’ve been working towards a collective vision of equity alongside community organizations/community leaders across LA for the last 10 months. To this day, we’re building coalitions. We look forward to showcasing these stories with Social Equity: Up in Smoke. 

MEDIA INFO

About WebJoint:

WebJoint is a METRC-certified eCommerce and inventory management software provider for over ⅓ of California’s cannabis delivery services, providing automated driver dispatching, geofencing, real-time delivery tracking, compliance features and much more.

To learn more about WebJoint, please visit https://www.webjoint.com/

About SEOWA:

Social Equity Owners & Workers Association (“SEOWA”)  is a collective of Social Equity Applicants that share a passion and commitment to making sure the cannabis industry provides a chance to repair the destruction caused by the War on Drugs to minority communities through inclusion and ownership within the industry. 

To learn more about SEOWA, please visit https://www.seowa.org/

Media Contact: 

Antonio Javiniar

antonio@webjoint.com