Episode 93: Cannabis and the Social Entrepreneur

Cannabis is positioned to create billions of dollars in revenue. For contemporary White men, this will serve as entry to generational wealth. For many Black and Brown men it served as an initiation to systems of criminal justice. Dr. Grant shares why social entrepreneurship is the only remedy.

Description
America has not seen a new industry like that of cannabis since the inception of the internet. The internet changed the domestic commerce chain and international relations in a way that no one expected. The cannabis industry is positioned to perform in a very similar manner, creating billions of dollars of revenue across a myriad of relevant domains. One significant difference is that the internet has never been illegal or served as a partner in the business continuity model of disenfranchising Black and Brown men. An exploration of the contemporary legislative, cultural and systemic shifts related to the cannabis industry is critical to remedy the systemic disenfranchisement that creates disproportionality for many men of color. It will be the responsibility of social entrepreneurs to lead the charge in creating a space where these men gain reprieve for a legal shift that was largely created to maintain their disenfranchisement.

Biography
Dr. Donald E Grant Jr began his career as a middle school science teacher in Baltimore MD after graduating from Hampton University with a Bachelors’ degree in Biology. He knew very quickly that the kids he was teaching needed more than he had to offer at the time, promoting his doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology with an emphasis in Multi-Cultural Community Psychology in 2003. In addition to his broad work in film and media, coaching and wellness, Dr. Grant serves as Executive Director of the Center for Community and Social Impact (CCSI) at Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena CA and has a long history of direct mental health service delivery and administrative oversight for foster care systems, child welfare programs, education systems and homeless mental wellness services. His academic partnerships span across two decades and over a dozen institutions including Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and Cal State LA. He is a published author, international trainer and on air expert for NBC Universal.