Advocating for BIPOC Diversity in the Cannabis Industry & Beyond

Our Pledge
While the cannabis industry has seen unprecedented opportunities, innovation and growth, it is not immune to the deeply rooted systemic issues of its past. Historically, the Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) communities have been negatively impacted significantly more so by past cannabis prohibitions and the “War on Drugs.”
With leaders in cannabis poised to benefit now more than ever from the sector’s continued success – Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) are, and should continue to be, active topics in the industry’s progress.
Advocating for diversity in cannabis is morally imperative as well as necessary. From carrying inclusive brands at retail to hiring a diverse team of individuals, DEI drives new perspectives, better strategies and achieving greater success.
Continuing to strive for transparency, Pleasantrees recognizes the lack of representation and inclusion across the cannabis industry. To be a part of the solution to a major issue, Pleasantrees pledges to partner with more BIPOC owned cannabis brands and small businesses that share the same values of quality standards and views.
By continuing to diversify our shelves with inclusive brands, Pleasantrees will also strive to collaborate with local businesses and organizations through our Pleasant Neighbor program.


For Our Employees and Staff
To achieve the objectives outlined in its pledge, Pleasantrees has built both internal and external initiatives aimed towards reaching this goal, which all generally flow from its Social Equity Plan established in 2021.
Internally, and following a foundational pillar of our Social Equity Plan – Access to Value Chain, Pleasantrees starts its work at home. We actively recognize the issue of underrepresentation and therefore have established intentional policies to identify, hire, and promote individuals from those communities most disparately impacted by the so-called War on Drugs.
More specifically, this pillar’s intent is to create financial opportunities throughout the value chain, by maintaining a robust staff of individuals with non-violent cannabis convictions or who may not receive the same opportunities in more traditional industries.
While a directed focus on hiring is critical, investing in such individuals during their employment lifecycle is just as important. To that end, Pleasantrees employs the second pillar of its Social Equity Plan – Education. These educational programs provide life skills training to staff, their families, to close the life skills gap that often tracks closely with or is the direct result of incarceration and systemic racism.
Whether via its robust learning management system or cross-training and promotion opportunities (i.e., moving from a production or cultivation role to a retail customer-facing setting), Pleasantrees is committed to investing in its team members to provide them with all the resources necessary to achieve today and in their careers for the long term.
Going beyond its workforce, Pleasantrees extends this focus and intentionality to adjacent resources and service providers throughout its supply chain. Thoughtful consideration is implemented into every vendor selection process to ensure that more BIPOC owned cannabis brands and small businesses are given the fair opportunity participate in this blooming space.

For Our Customers and Communities
Pleasantrees’ Access to Value Chain social equity pillar is not just meant for inside the walls of our organization, but is also designed to highlight third party businesses, brands, and groups through partnerships.
The War on Drugs was a systemic, targeted, institutionalized effort, the devastating effects of which cannot be overcome by moving in isolation. Rather, Pleasantrees actively works to highlight various BIPOC owned groups and businesses who share in this pledge by partnering on a variety programs.
Through the third pillar of the Plan – Legislation & Advocacy – Pleasantrees works to support organizations that work to mitigate the effects of prohibition and create equitable opportunity for those disproportionately affected.
One such example where Pleasantrees puts this pillar in action is through its Legacy Series, a co-branded program with The Redemption Foundation, that brings back “legacy” strains of cannabis while shining a light on the not-so-rosy legacy of cannabis prohibition.
Through this partnership and give-back initiative, a percentage of proceeds from the collection directly support the Foundation’s Commissary Program, which helps reduce the financial strain on incarcerated individuals and their families. Recognizing that the average hourly wage for prisoners is $0.14/hr, the initial launch of the Legacy Series aimed to fund 1 week of wages for over 420 inmates.
The last pillar of our Social Equity Plan is called Good Neighbor, where Pleasantrees strives to make life a little more livable in ways that matter to our neighbors through fostering the local communities in which we operate in.
Pleasantrees’ Pleasant Neighbor is one of many ways that we continue to uplift our communities and local business. Pleasantrees routinely solidifies partnerships with nearby small businesses – particularly those derived from underrepresented BIPOC groups – that involve cross-promotion, co-branding, community giveback, and/or other unique benefits for their shared consumers.




