The Become a Cannabis CEO event held earlier this year at Humber’s Lakeshore Campus was aimed at empowering Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities to enter or advance their careers in the cannabis industry.
The main goal was to help break down barriers and increase representation in Canada’s recreational cannabis industry.
This event was a collaborative effort between the SEED Initiative and Humber’s Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), the Longo Centre for Entrepreneurship and the Office of Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EDIB).
The evening featured an entrepreneurial skills-building session, keynote and panel discussions, cannabis business insights and networking sessions.
The panelists included experienced industry professionals Steven G. Conville, Akeem Gardner, Abi Roach, Nayyir Sunderji and David Duhaney-Walters.
Daniel Bear is the director of the CSI and a funded researcher focusing on drug policy with an emphasis on cannabis and harm reduction, and the policing of drugs and community policing practices. Bear says Canada’s cannabis industry is monolithic and lacking in diversity - most notably within positions of leadership.
Bear emphasized the significance of SEED, an initiative dedicated to uncovering and creating opportunities for individuals from racialized communities to succeed in the cannabis industry. He pointed out the Cannabis Act didn’t include recommendations to address the systemic discrimination experienced by racialized communities due to cannabis prohibition.
“We saw this as an opportunity to support those goals, to undo systemic discrimination and to create access to economic opportunities that cannabis might provide,” said Bear. “This event was an excellent example of what the CSI is there to do – connect with community partners and identify ways that we can bring innovative experiences to Humber or use Humber’s resources to bring innovation to the community.”
Panelist Sunderji shared his success story to demonstrate the impact of diversity in the cannabis industry. After graduating university, he started a part-time job at one of the first retail cannabis stores in the province. His dedication led to a management role and eventually to launching several cannabis stores.
Sunderji then led sales operations for a larger licensed producer and is now the director of sales at We Know Training, which operates the CannSell cannabis retail education program in Ontario.
“The cannabis industry allowed me to supercharge my career,” he said. “I’m a big believer in the industry on the whole and, just from a market trends perspective, it’s a growing industry.”
Sunderji’s story highlighted the potential for success when diversity is embraced in a monolithic industry, emphasizing the supportive community within the cannabis sector. His insights and career advice aimed to inspire and motivate community members from marginalized backgrounds, showcasing how perseverance and opportunity can lead to significant career advancement.
Asked why Canada’s cannabis industry is lacking in diversity, Bear cited several factors. In the early stages of cannabis becoming legal, it required significant capital to secure a cannabis license, excluding many people. Additionally, many of the original C-suite executives came from other industries where they had risen through the ranks and Bear said, at the time, that was still not a very diverse group.
“We see that the opportunities to create and maintain and then pass down wealth intergenerationally is something that Black, Indigenous and other racialized communities still struggle with because of systemic discrimination,” said Bear. “If we can create opportunities for people to generate wealth, then that intergenerational transmission of wealth and opportunity becomes an option.”
More information about the CSI and its work can be found on the CSI’s website.