A General Manager for a multi-location cannabis company in L.A. with a lengthy professional track record has now written a book intended to educate newcomers to the cannabis business, outline the presence of discrimination and clarify misconceptions about the industry.
On Monday, Diedra Harrison-Greenaway announced the launch of her new book entitled The Blueprint: A Guide Towards Cannabis Business Ownership.
Greenaway says that her inspiration for the new literature can be attributed to injustices she witnessed within the industry throughout the course of her career and an inherent incentive to educate people on particular subjects.
Photo via Harrison-Greenaway
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According to the recent press release and her LinkedIn profile, Harrison-Greenaway graduated with an MBA (Master of Business Admin) and Master of Science degree from the University of Maryland. She also completed a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from California State University, Northridge.
In addition to her current General Manager position at ERBA Markets cannabis in L.A., Greenaway says that she served as a Budget Committee Member for the City of Los Angeles Department of Cannabis Regulations after being appointed as a Budget Advocate there. Additionally, she currently owns Greenspace Business Solutions — a new consulting firm also located in L.A.
Greenaway says the unfortunate reality is that much of the systemic racism and discriminatory practices prevalent within the judicial and business sectors of society also impact the cannabis industry. She says that there are thousands of individuals currently incarcerated on non-violent cannabis charges, many of whom are people of colour, even though pot is now perfectly legal in many states. Greenaway claims to personally know people of colour serving time for non-violent cannabis-related charges.
Aside from the factor of pot-related prison sentences, Greenaway says that there are large numbers of coloured people throughout the United States who have issues impacting their potential entry into the cannabis business and that this needs to change. She claims that the disparity is so drastic for these people that coalitions have formed to help expunge their records and provide them with employment opportunities in the industry.
According to Greenaway, The Blueprint is intended to guide the reader through a series of detailed steps regarding various aspects and sectors of cannabis ownership. She says that for people of colour, the book openly and honestly discusses the positive and problematic characteristics of the cannabis business.
She says although California was one of the first states to legalize cannabis, the state government failed miserably with the release and expungement of criminal records. Once former pot offenders are released from prison they face tremendous difficulties finding adequate employment or housing and cannot even vote.
Lastly, Greenaway says she is working relentlessly to ensure her book makes its way into the hands of coloured people who have previously lacked clear-cut information regarding access to the cannabis industry.
