Cascade Cannabis Association, a nonprofit organization focused on advancing the cannabis industry in Central Oregon, has announced two new partnerships with cannabis industry organizations to support the BIPOC (Black, Indigenous and People of Color) community in the region.
Lindsey Pate, President of Cascade Cannabis Association (CCA), said, “In these times, CCA looks to what centers us as an organization: our mission, which is to advance the cannabis industry in Central Oregon through responsible community collaboration, education and celebration. As the BIPOC community has long been impacted by racism, gentrification and the war on drugs, and while CCA may not be solely able to right those wrongs, we can do our part to bring awareness within our local community and increase diversity in the Central Oregon cannabis space.”
To that end, Cascade Cannabis Association is forming partnerships with Cannabis Workers Coalition and NuLeaf Project to form scholarships.
The newly formed Cannabis Workers Coalition’s mission is to break down barriers to increase diversity in the cannabis workforce. CCA intends to host a fundraiser in the near future to create scholarships to support BIPOC individuals.
The first scholarship will be an “Entry Level Scholarship” — helping bring people of color into the industry. This program will cover the cost of marijuana handlers permits and provide help in getting those permits. Cannabis Workers Coalition (CWC) is creating a training resource covering a brief history of the War on Drugs, cannabis science including plant anatomy, cannabinoids and terpenes and a brief overview of the endocannabinoid system. In addition, CWC is working with Client Centered Network to provide additional resources. CCA will help with additional resources as well and will work to facilitate mentorship programs here locally with our members, so CCA requests that interested individuals let us know if they are interested in mentoring.
Depending on funds raised, CCA will also develop one to two “Professional Development Scholarships” that will help those looking to gain additional professional and business skill sets in the cannabis space. These scholarships will sponsor recipients in attending a 2021 cannabis business conference such as the CCC (Cannabis Collaborative Conference) or RAD (Retail and Dispensary Expo) in Portland or other professional events under consideration.
The other potential partnership CCA is exploring is with NuLeaf to strengthen the success of the scholarship programs. NuLeaf built the bridge between CWC and our organization and we look forward to seeing what other networking opportunities there are to spread the word about the scholarship programs, and cast a wide net in Central Oregon to attract eligible participants.
Pate said, “We’re excited about engaging our community and encourage everyone to let us know if they’d like to get involved. Together, let’s start the dialogue and contribute to positive solutions for our community and our world.”
Those who wish to donate to either of the scholarship funds, may do so at this link.
Anyone who would like to apply for either of these scholarships, or who knows someone who would, is encouraged to contact hello@cascade-cannabis.org to request an application.
With events across the country being limited and/or cancelled, CCA is postponing its summer and fall events including the Croptober Celebration and 4th Highly Enlightened Discussions until further notice.
