One thing we know about Hov is that he always has a social justice component to his business initiatives, setting the example that commerce and compassion are not exclusive attributes on the road to generational wealth.
The billionaire’s new cannabis company Monogram is back in the news because of the social inequity in the marijuana industry and its impact the national descheduling dilemma has on the Black community.
The facts are simple: there are 11 states in the country where it is legal to recreationally smoke or ingest weed. Of these 11 states, 10 are connected. The one state that is not connected is Alaska and as the geography would have it, the Last Frontier is connected to Canada, the only country in North America where cannabis is federally legal.
Because Jay-Z sees this as a hindrance for those who do partake. According to AdAge, Monogram started a campaign using mobile billboards that say:
“Here Cannabis is legal. Enjoy responsibly” on the outskirts of legal states, this way people will know that this is real and they can puff in peace.
In the states that prohibit smoking, those signs say, “Here cannabis is illegal. Avoid the bookings.”
What’s a booking? Getting knocked because you are breaking the law getting high.
Last year, Jay-Z (whose real name is Shawn Carter) was named the chief brand strategist for Caliva, a cannabis company out in California that has partnered with the mogul to create the Monogram brand.
Clearly, his strategy is to help people get free from the inconsistency in the marijuana space for the poor and people of color.
