Mayor Harrell Introduces Suite of Bills to Improve Cannabis Equity

Mayor Harrell: Three payments developed in partnership with Council, business stakeholders, and employees are “Essential first steps towards bettering fairness and a transparent dedication to a One Seattle method.”

Seattle – Right now, Mayor Bruce Harrell put ahead a set of payments meant to deal with fairness within the hashish business by serving to foster a extra various business and supporting hashish retailer employees. Developed in partnership with Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda and hashish business stakeholders and staff, the payments would take vital early steps towards hashish fairness efforts. 

“For a thriving Seattle financial system, each employee and enterprise deserve security and the chance to study, develop, and prosper,” mentioned Mayor Harrell. “Because the hashish business continues to develop, we should course right and help the communities who too typically have been left behind. Fairness on this business means secure working circumstances and truthful remedy for employees, retailer possession that features the communities most impacted by the conflict on medicine, and a dedication to equity, innovation, and alternative.” 

The bundle submitted to Council contains three payments, which take instant actions and likewise put in place buildings for long-term options. The payments, if handed, would require the next efforts: 

• Creation of a Metropolis-level social fairness license, meant to scale back boundaries towards opening hashish shops for underrepresented communities and people most impacted by the conflict on medicine. 
• Laying the groundwork for future cannabis-related companies, in collaboration with the Washington State Liquor and Hashish Board, to additionally difficulty licenses via a social fairness framework. Guaranteeing transparency to staff round possession of hashish retailer enterprise licenses holders.  
• Requiring a 90-day retention of retailer workforce when possession adjustments, much like protections created for resort employees in 2019. 
• Creation of a short-term hashish advisory committee, chosen in collaboration with Metropolis Council to gather enter on hashish fairness and wishes from employees, group members, and business leaders.  
• Implementation of a wants evaluation to know further steps to make the business extra sturdy and sustainable for various communities. 
• Collaboration with County and group efforts to additional the work of expunging convictions for cannabis-related crimes previous to 2014.  
• Improvement of a state and federal legislative agenda selling hashish fairness, in addition to security enhancements, capital investments, and entry to banking providers.  

Mayor Harrell mentioned, “Whereas these insurance policies alone can’t remedy generations of injustice, they’re vital first steps and a transparent dedication to a One Seattle method, the place we make progress via partnership, working with state and federal leaders, business stakeholders, and retailer employees to proceed shifting ahead.” 

Whereas hashish licenses are regulated and distributed on the state stage, the proposed laws permits the Metropolis to take tangible steps to enhance equity and alternative within the business each now and as further licenses are awarded. Because the state begins to allocate social fairness hashish licenses throughout Washington, the proposed laws would guarantee Seattle is located to finest improve native fairness efforts. 

Earlier this yr, Mayor Harrell joined the Metropolis Council in calling for passage of the federal SAFE Banking Act to assist handle security issues at hashish shops, that are at the moment required to hold money with out an choice to entry on-line banking. 

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING 

Councilmember Teresa Mosqueda (Place 8 – Citywide) 

“After years of group asking for better fairness within the hashish business, this laws represents an preliminary step in the suitable path in the direction of creating native fairness functions, bettering workforce requirements, and specializing in security for employees within the hashish business. Thanks, to the broad coalition led by hashish business employees and companies who’ve been calling for reforms on this business, and for not letting up. I sit up for persevering with to work with you and the Mayor’s workplace to make these first coverage steps impactful, and to constructing on this method to create better hashish fairness to deal with the harms attributable to the conflict on medicine and previous dangerous insurance policies.” 

Adan Espino Jr, Govt Director, Craft Hashish Coalition, an affiliation of over 70 hashish retailers and allied producers statewide, together with half of Seattle hashish retail shops. 

“Hashish retail small companies throughout Seattle have drastically appreciated the chance to work intently and productively with Mayor Harrell and the Metropolis Council on these ordinances tackling social fairness within the hashish business. We sit up for persevering with to have interaction thoughtfully and collaboratively within the Metropolis’s hashish fairness effort because it develops, alongside dialogue of different urgent points going through the hashish small companies, equivalent to safety issues.” 

Joe Mizrahi, Secretary-Treasurer, UFCW 3000

“This laws is a crucial first step to realize important protections for hashish employees. Important hashish employees in UFCW 3000 sit up for working with the Mayor’s workplace and Metropolis Council, with a broad coalition of group stakeholders, to construct on this basis within the years to come back.”