Jay-Z’s cannabis line launches social justice awareness campaign

MONOGRAM aims to shed light on the outdated laws

Mar 2, 2021

Jay-Z is using marijuana to change outdated drug policies.

The rapper slash entrepreneur’s weed line, MONOGRAM, has launched a new campaign geared toward cannabis law. It aims to shed light on the outdated laws that surround the herb and the people it has unfairly impacted.

“Cannabis laws are out of date and disproportionately cruel and punishing when compared to the rest of the legal code. We still don’t have proper regulation for texting and driving in Missouri, but staying home and smoking weed will get you locked up,” said Jay -Z, born Shawn Carter, in a press release obtained by theGrio.

“I created this campaign to amplify the voices of those who have been penalized for the very same thing that venture capitalists are now prospering from with the emerging legal cannabis market. Far too often we forget that these are real people whose everyday lives and futures have been affected by this outdated legislature – people like Bryan Rone, who can no longer pursue a career in sales because of a cannabis-related conviction in 2003.”

The brand’s new digital series will highlight eight individuals who have faced charges due to cannabis-related offenses. The images will be placed on mobile ads, billboards, and wild-postings in major cities such as New York, Chicago and Los Angeles.

The campaign hopes to highlight the failed “war on drugs” and show that it still impacts us today. Testimonial videos will also be featured along with the still images to add context and a face to the crises. And despite many states continuing to make progressive laws in favor of cannabis use it is still stigmatized.

“One of the founding principles of The Parent Company was to foster social equity in cannabis. The disproportionate effects of the War on Drugs have been devastating, and we believe it is our responsibility to lay the stage to begin the process of righting the many wrongs against the Black and other minority communities,” said Steve Allan, CEO of the brand’s parent company, The Parent Company.

“With this goal in mind, The Parent Company has funded a social equity ventures program to give Black and other minority entrepreneurs equal opportunity for participation in the legal cannabis industry. Led by Shawn ‘JAY-Z’ Carter and Desiree Perez (CEO of Roc Nation), this program will identify and fund the next generation of cannabis business leaders who are building value for their communities and diversity in our industry. The social equity ventures program will officially launch in the coming months.”

Jay-Z Monogram thegrio.com — (Credit: Jay-Z)

As reported by theGrio, House Democrat are fighting for marijuana reform. Democratic lawmakers are working to decriminalize marijuana.

Senators are looking to legalize marijuana on a federal level and provide justice reform for those who have been criminalized due to the drug. The senators announced their plan to conclude the federal prohibition on marijuana.

“Ending the federal marijuana prohibition is necessary to right the wrongs of this failed war and end decades of harm inflicted on communities of color across the country,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senators Ron Wyden, of Oregon and Cory Booker, of New Jersey said in a statement, per CNBC.

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