♪ >> Demarco: WELCOME BACK. THE MARIJUANA BUSINESS IS THE MARIJUANA BUSINESS IS GROWING AS MORE STATES LEGALIZE GROWING AS MORE STATES LEGALIZE THE RECREATIONAL USE OF THE RECREATIONAL USE OF CANNABIS, WHICH MEANS MORE CANNABIS, WHICH MEANS MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP OPPORTUNITY FOR ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND EMPLOYMENT. AND EMPLOYMENT. >> Eva: NEW YORK SETTING HIGH >> Eva: NEW YORK SETTING HIGH STANDARD IMPLEMENTING PROGRAM STANDARD IMPLEMENTING PROGRAM GIVING BLACK AND BROWN GIVING BLACK AND BROWN COMMUNITIES A CHANCE TO PUT COMMUNITIES A CHANCE TO PUT THEMSELVES AT THE HELM OF A THEMSELVES AT THE HELM OF A BUDDING INDUSTRY. BUDDING INDUSTRY. WE MET WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS TO WE MET WITH INDUSTRY LEADERS TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE POT EQUITY LEARN MORE ABOUT THE POT EQUITY MOVEMENT. MOVEMENT. TAKE A LOOK. TAKE A LOOK. ♪ ♪ >> INSIDE THIS FORMER IS FIRST >> INSIDE THIS FORMER IS FIRST OF ITS KIND FOR NEW YORK CITY, OF ITS KIND FOR NEW YORK CITY, BLACK-OWNED LEGAL CANNABIS SHOP. BLACK-OWNED LEGAL CANNABIS SHOP. ♪ ♪ >> IN THE HEART OF BLEEKER >> IN THE HEART OF BLEEKER STREET, SMACK VILLAGED OPENED IN STREET, SMACK VILLAGED OPENED IN JANUARY, OWNED BY ROWLAND JANUARY, OWNED BY ROWLAND CONNOR, WHO IS BLAZING TRAILS. CONNOR, WHO IS BLAZING TRAILS. HIS DISPENSARY IS FIRST HIS DISPENSARY IS FIRST BLACK-OWNED CANNABIS SHOP IN NEW BLACK-OWNED CANNABIS SHOP IN NEW YORK CITY. YORK CITY. >> DOES PRESSURE COME WITH BEING >> DOES PRESSURE COME WITH BEING THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO GET THE THE FIRST BLACK MAN TO GET THE LICENSE? LICENSE? >> YES, THERE IS PRESSURE TO >> YES, THERE IS PRESSURE TO SUCCEED AND FAIL, I WILL SUCCEED SUCCEED AND FAIL, I WILL SUCCEED AND MAKE THIS WORK. AND MAKE THIS WORK. >> ROWLAND IS ON THE FOREFRONT >> ROWLAND IS ON THE FOREFRONT OF THIS INDUSTRY, AWARDED WITH OF THIS INDUSTRY, AWARDED WITH ADULT-USE RETAIL DISPENSARY ADULT-USE RETAIL DISPENSARY LICENSE, KNOWN AS A CARD. LICENSE, KNOWN AS A CARD. THIS IS NOT ROWLAND'S FIRST THIS IS NOT ROWLAND'S FIRST FORRET WITH MARIJUANA. FORRET WITH MARIJUANA. HE IS THE FIRST PERSON WITH HE IS THE FIRST PERSON WITH PREVIOUS LEGAL CONVICTION TO PREVIOUS LEGAL CONVICTION TO LEGALLY OPEN UP SHOP. LEGALLY OPEN UP SHOP. >> IT WAS SURREAL, YOU TRY TO >> IT WAS SURREAL, YOU TRY TO HIDE YOUR PAST, ESPECIALLY WHEN HIDE YOUR PAST, ESPECIALLY WHEN NEGATIVE, NOW I HAVE TO SHARE NEGATIVE, NOW I HAVE TO SHARE IT. IT. YOUR PAST SOMETIMES HAUNTS YOU. YOUR PAST SOMETIMES HAUNTS YOU. YOU CAN GO TO JAIL AND DO TIME YOU CAN GO TO JAIL AND DO TIME AND STILL STIGMA. AND STILL STIGMA. >> NEW YORK LEGALIZED >> NEW YORK LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, ONE YEAR RECREATIONAL MARIJUANA, ONE YEAR LATER IN THE SPRING OF 2022, LATER IN THE SPRING OF 2022, MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCED NEW YORK MAYOR ADAMS ANNOUNCED NEW YORK CITY GOALS FOR EQUITABLE MARKET CITY GOALS FOR EQUITABLE MARKET AND CREATE CANNABIS EQUITY AND CREATE CANNABIS EQUITY PROGRAM. PROGRAM. THOSE APPLIES FOR A CARD MUST THOSE APPLIES FOR A CARD MUST HAVE PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, HAVE HAVE PREVIOUS CONVICTIONS, HAVE QUALIFIED BUSINESS EXPERIENCE OR QUALIFIED BUSINESS EXPERIENCE OR BE IMPACTED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS. BE IMPACTED BY THE WAR ON DRUGS. >> WE ARE FOCUSING ON THOSE >> WE ARE FOCUSING ON THOSE DIRECTLY IMPACTED, PREVIOUS DIRECTLY IMPACTED, PREVIOUS CANNABIS ARREST OR CONVICTION CANNABIS ARREST OR CONVICTION AND IF NOT THEMSELVES, SPOUSE OR AND IF NOT THEMSELVES, SPOUSE OR PARENT OR CHILD. PARENT OR CHILD. >> DOSHITA, REFLECTED, THE >> DOSHITA, REFLECTED, THE FORMER FORTUNE 500 EXECUTIVE FORMER FORTUNE 500 EXECUTIVE APPOINTED FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF APPOINTED FOUNDING DIRECTOR OF CANNABIS NYC, FIRST ROLE OF ITS CANNABIS NYC, FIRST ROLE OF ITS KIND. KIND. WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO FEAR AND WE'VE BEEN TAUGHT TO FEAR AND DEMONIZE CANNABIS AND IT IS OUR DEMONIZE CANNABIS AND IT IS OUR JOB TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY WERE JOB TO EXPLAIN HOW THEY WERE PROPAGATED AND PUSHED ON TO THE PROPAGATED AND PUSHED ON TO THE COMMUNITIES AND WE NEED TO UNDO COMMUNITIES AND WE NEED TO UNDO THAT. THAT. I THINK OF ROWLAND CONNOR AS THE I THINK OF ROWLAND CONNOR AS THE ULTIMATE HUSTLER, THIS COULD ULTIMATE HUSTLER, THIS COULD RUIN YOUR LIFE, HE SAID IT WOULD RUIN YOUR LIFE, HE SAID IT WOULD NOT RUIN HIS LIFE AND OVERCAME NOT RUIN HIS LIFE AND OVERCAME THAT, GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW CARD THAT, GREAT EXAMPLE OF HOW CARD IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. IS SUPPOSED TO WORK. >> NEW YORK STATE IS ONE OF 21 >> NEW YORK STATE IS ONE OF 21 THAT LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL THAT LEGALIZED RECREATIONAL CANNABIS AND ONE OF 13 THAT HAVE CANNABIS AND ONE OF 13 THAT HAVE SOCIAL ECWIT OI PROGRAMS. SOCIAL ECWIT OI PROGRAMS. FRAMEWORK LEGISLATION DIRECTLY FRAMEWORK LEGISLATION DIRECTLY BENEFITS THOSE WITH PAST BENEFITS THOSE WITH PAST CONVICTIONS. CONVICTIONS. >> OTHER STATES HAVE THE POLICY, >> OTHER STATES HAVE THE POLICY, BUT 99% OF THEM PURPOSELY LEFT BUT 99% OF THEM PURPOSELY LEFT OUT PEOPLE THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY OUT PEOPLE THAT WERE PREVIOUSLY HARMED, PURPOSELY LEFT OUT IF HARMED, PURPOSELY LEFT OUT IF YOU HAD A CONVICTION YOU YOU HAD A CONVICTION YOU COULDN'T BE ON APPLICATION AND COULDN'T BE ON APPLICATION AND WE ARE PRIORITIZING THAT GROUP, WE ARE PRIORITIZING THAT GROUP, WE ARE SETTING A STANDARD IN THE WE ARE SETTING A STANDARD IN THE UNITED STATES AND GLOBALLY AND UNITED STATES AND GLOBALLY AND THAT IS WHERE NEW YORK CAN BE A THAT IS WHERE NEW YORK CAN BE A PIONEER. PIONEER. >> ROWLAND'S JOURNEY HAS COME >> ROWLAND'S JOURNEY HAS COME FULL CIRCLE FROM GOING TO PRISON FULL CIRCLE FROM GOING TO PRISON FOR A CANNABIS CHARGE TO FOR A CANNABIS CHARGE TO BECOMING A BUSINESSMAN WITHIN BECOMING A BUSINESSMAN WITHIN THE FOLD OF NEW YORK'S EMERGING THE FOLD OF NEW YORK'S EMERGING INDUSTRY. INDUSTRY. >> I HAVEN'T WORKED SINCE 2008, >> I HAVEN'T WORKED SINCE 2008, I'VE BEEN AN ENTREPRENEUR SINCE I'VE BEEN AN ENTREPRENEUR SINCE THEN. THEN. I AM MY OWN MAN. I AM MY OWN MAN. MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES, BEING MADE A LOT OF MISTAKES, BEING ABLE TO CORRECT THOSE MISTAKES ABLE TO CORRECT THOSE MISTAKES AND MOVE FORWARD AND BE HERE, I AND MOVE FORWARD AND BE HERE, I FEEL STRONG AND POWERFUL. FEEL STRONG AND POWERFUL. >> Eva: WHAT