How big is the Black-owned cannabis market?
The legal cannabis industry generates billions of dollars annually—reaching an estimated $40 billion in 2024—but suffers from a significant imbalance in representation. Despite the industry’s growth, Black entrepreneurs currently represent less than 2% of licensed business operations. This disparity exists because of systemic barriers, including restricted financial access and the ongoing impacts of cannabis criminalization.
Black-owned businesses serve essential functions beyond product marketing. These organizations establish industry infrastructure, develop equitable policies, and restore economic participation to communities affected by historical inequality.
Key Players in the Black Cannabis Economy
Viola
The multistate cannabis company Viola produces flower, concentrates, and branded products. Former NBA player Al Harrington established the company in 2011. Harrington’s inspiration to build generational wealth in Black communities and increase minority ownership came from his personal experience with cannabis as medicine. Through premium product development and advocacy, Viola invests in equity initiatives while expanding retail access to maintain its status as one of the longest-standing Black-owned cannabis brands in the U.S.
93 Boyz
The Black-owned cannabis brand 93 Boyz, co-founded by Chicago artist Vic Mensa, works to address the exclusion of Black entrepreneurs in a market that has disproportionately affected those who faced criminalization. The brand operates in Illinois through partnerships with licensed cultivators while reinvesting in community initiatives. It combines cultural relevance with social equity to promote access and ownership in an industry that has historically been inequitable.
Simply Pure
Military veterans Wanda James and Scott Durrah established Simply Pure as a dispensary and cannabis advocacy brand. The company focuses on product curation and educational promotion. It began operations in Colorado in 2010 before expanding to New Jersey. The mission of Simply Pure focuses on eliminating cannabis stigma through inclusive retail access by backing Black-, women-, and veteran-owned brands while working toward industry equity and policy reform.
Ball Family Farms
Chris Ball established Ball Family Farms as a vertically integrated cannabis company that produces premium craft flower. The company started operations in Los Angeles through California’s Social Equity Program. Ball Family Farms works to create a lasting market presence for Black cultivators through its control of cultivation, processing, and distribution. It uses boutique production methods and quality genetics to compete in the premium cannabis market through equity-based licenses.
The Hollingsworth Cannabis Company
The Hollingsworth Cannabis Company, or THC Co., is a Black-owned cannabis cultivator that operates a full-scale farm in Washington state. It is one of the few Black-owned farms in the region. THC Co. works to create representation in cultivation, a capital-intensive sector where Black entrepreneurs are underrepresented. The company specializes in high-quality cultivation and a varied product offering to show ownership in a space traditionally dominated by non-minority operators.
Canna Luxe Co.
Tori Owens established Canna Luxe Co. as a Black- and woman-owned cannabis accessories brand to address a lack of representation and design-focused products for women of color. Canna Luxe creates luxury smoking accessories that serve as home decor. The brand extends cannabis culture from consumption into lifestyle branding by uniting fashion with functionality.
Black Buddha Cannabis
Black Buddha Cannabis, a wellness brand founded by Roz McCarthy, creates vapes and cannabis products that promote mindful consumption. The company distributes its products in legal U.S. markets while focusing on wellness initiatives and restorative justice. Black Buddha Cannabis combines product development with activism to support expungement clinics and community projects that address the lasting impacts of the war on drugs.
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