M4MM Releases Power 100 List Honoring Black Cannabis Pioneers

Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) has published its Power 100 list, documenting Black Americans whose contributions built the foundation of today's cannabis industry—including many whose names rarely appear in mainstream coverage.

The list represents an effort to record the full scope of Black leadership in cannabis, from globally recognized advocates to policy architects and business pioneers who worked behind the scenes. M4MM's compilation arrives as the industry continues grappling with equity questions around market access and ownership.

"This isn't just about the people everyone already knows," said Roz McCarthy, M4MM's founder and CEO, in a statement accompanying the list. "We're documenting the organizers, the lawyers, the farmers, the activists who did the work when it was dangerous to do so."

The Equity Context

Black Americans have long faced disproportionate cannabis enforcement despite similar usage rates to white Americans. FBI data shows Black people are 3.64 times more likely to be arrested for cannabis possession than white people nationally, with disparities reaching 9.6 times in some jurisdictions.

Yet Black ownership in the legal cannabis industry remains below 2% according to recent Marijuana Business Daily research, despite social equity programs in multiple states. The Power 100 list highlights individuals who pushed for legalization and equity provisions long before cannabis became a multi-billion dollar market.

The compilation includes policy advocates who shaped medical marijuana laws in the 1990s, attorneys who defended cannabis cases pro bono for decades, and entrepreneurs who launched businesses despite banking restrictions and regulatory barriers that disproportionately affected minority-owned operations.

Beyond Celebrity Recognition

While the list includes well-known figures like rapper and entrepreneur Wiz Khalifa and activist Weldon Angelos, M4MM emphasized that many honorees have never received industry recognition despite decades of work.

The organization identified farmers who maintained legacy cannabis knowledge, researchers who studied medical applications when federal prohibition made such work career-threatening, and community organizers who fought for expungement provisions in state legalization bills.

"We're seeing billion-dollar cannabis companies run by people who got into the industry five years ago," McCarthy noted. "Meanwhile, people who spent 30 years fighting for legalization—often at great personal cost—get written out of the story."

What's Next

M4MM plans to expand the Power 100 into an ongoing historical record, with additional profiles and oral histories to be added throughout 2025. The organization is also developing educational materials based on the list for use in cannabis business programs and policy courses.

The full Power 100 list is available on M4MM's website, with biographical information and specific contributions detailed for each honoree. The organization has invited industry members to submit additional names for consideration in future iterations.

As federal rescheduling discussions continue and more states consider legalization, M4MM argues that understanding who built the movement becomes increasingly important for shaping equitable policy going forward.

This article is based on original reporting by hightimes.com.