Those who have the most to lose in an overtaxed and over-regulated cannabis marketplace are disadvantaged communities negatively impacted by the War on Drugs. There is a consensus that the economic value of cannabis legalization will bring forth an opportunity for an equitable industry. 

But making that happen isn’t easy — local lawmakers and would-be business owners must navigate a complex web of regulatory challenges. The high cost of owning and operating a cannabis business is out of reach for too many. Members of the communities that were supposed to benefit from legalization find themselves in limbo, struggling to succeed in a market that’s stacked against them. 

Lawmakers and regulators are working to create a more functional framework for cannabis in their communities, but the fight is not yet won. Prohibition in California persists despite the passage of Prop 64. It will take a lot of people working together to manifest the market Californians envisioned when they voted to legalize cannabis.