It's Time To Take A Stand: Social Impact In The Cannabis Industry with Anthony Alegrete and Mitch Pfeifer

Key Insights

• 40 Times is a social impact cannabis brand built on a founding story of justice: Corbin Cooper, who received a presidential clemency in January 2021 after serving time on a non-violent cannabis life sentence, is central to the brand's mission of bringing more diversity, inclusion, and second-chance opportunities to BIPOC communities in cannabis - making social equity not a marketing layer but the core business purpose.
• The most effective model for BIPOC equity in cannabis is not asking for representation within existing systems but building independent brands, platforms, and commerce - a philosophy that prioritizes ownership and economic participation over inclusion in structures that were not built with these communities in mind.
• Corporate cannabis can participate in social equity authentically only when the desire to help is genuine and embedded in company values rather than performed for optics - the communities most affected by the war on drugs are experienced at recognizing performative engagement, and authenticity is the only credibility baseline that matters.
• Cannabis legacy operators and BIPOC founders represent one of the last groups in any industry who still have a real chance to shape and control the market they helped build - and maintaining that stake through active participation, brand ownership, and community organizing requires deliberate effort as corporate consolidation accelerates.
• Music and cannabis have a natural cultural connection that live events and brand partnerships are positioned to capitalize on as regulations ease - brands that were previously cautious about putting their names on event sponsorships and music activations are gaining new options as regulatory clarity increases and enforcement priorities shift.

Webinar Highlights

00:00 – Hall of Flowers: Cannabis Community, Commerce, and Culture

Recorded live at Hall of Flowers in Palm Springs, this MediaJel podcast episode captures the energy of a cannabis industry gathering where operators, brands, and advocates are networking and building business. The conversation reflects the intersection of cannabis culture, social impact, and brand building that defines what Hall of Flowers has become as an industry event.

04:00 – 40 Times: A Brand Built on Justice and Second Chances

Anthony Alegre introduces 40 Times - a social impact cannabis brand centered on a powerful founding story. Corbin Cooper, one of the brand's key figures, received a presidential clemency on January 20, 2021 after serving time on a non-violent cannabis life sentence that originally carried a life sentence. 40 Times was built to channel that moment into a lasting mission: bringing more diversity and inclusion of BIPOC communities into cannabis and providing second chances for those most impacted by decades of cannabis criminalization.

10:00 – Creating Commerce, Not Asking for a Seat

A defining theme in the conversation is the philosophy behind BIPOC equity in cannabis: rather than seeking representation within systems built by others, the most powerful approach is to build independent brands, platforms, and commerce. "Forget asking for a seat at the table - we create our own people." This framing positions social impact brands like 40 Times not as charity or outreach but as legitimate business vehicles for economic ownership and community investment.

16:00 – How Corporate Cannabis Can Engage Authentically

The discussion addresses the complexity of corporate cannabis involvement in social equity: the industry has a genuine stigma around companies that engage with equity issues primarily for optics. The conversation identifies authenticity as the non-negotiable baseline - corporate cannabis organizations that want to meaningfully support BIPOC communities in the industry must demonstrate genuine values alignment and empathy, not surface-level partnerships that treat social equity as a marketing campaign.

22:00 – Legacy Operators and the Fight to Keep the Industry

The conversation returns to the stakes for legacy operators and BIPOC founders: cannabis is identified as one of the last major industries where founders from historically underrepresented communities still have a real chance to shape the market. As corporate consolidation increases, the imperative is to remain diligent, maintain ownership, and organize around the shared interest of keeping meaningful industry participation accessible to those who built it before legalization.

28:00 – Music, Cannabis, and the Live Event Opportunity

A discussion of music and cannabis emerges - the cultural connection between the two is described as natural and longstanding. As regulations ease and brands become more confident about associating their names with events and sponsorships, live music activations are identified as a growing opportunity for cannabis brands to reach engaged audiences in authentic cultural contexts that traditional advertising cannot replicate.

Frequently Asked Questions

[ {What is 40 Times cannabis brand?}

40 Times is a social impact cannabis brand dedicated to bringing diversity, inclusion, and second-chance opportunities to BIPOC communities in the cannabis industry. The brand is built around the story of Corbin Cooper, who received a presidential clemency in January 2021 after serving time on a non-violent cannabis offense that originally carried a life sentence. 40 Times uses that founding narrative to power a broader mission of economic inclusion and community investment for those most affected by decades of cannabis prohibition and criminalization.

{What does social impact mean in cannabis?}

Social impact in cannabis refers to business models, brands, and organizations that explicitly work to address the harms caused by decades of cannabis criminalization - particularly in BIPOC communities that bore disproportionate enforcement burden. Social impact cannabis companies prioritize BIPOC ownership and employment, provide opportunities for people with cannabis-related convictions, invest in underserved communities, and advocate for policies that expand economic access in the legal cannabis industry. At their strongest, social impact brands are built around actual community ownership rather than corporate equity programs.

{How can cannabis brands authentically support equity?}

Cannabis brands authentically support equity by embedding it in core business values rather than treating it as a marketing initiative. This means hiring from communities most affected by cannabis criminalization, supporting BIPOC-owned suppliers and partners, advocating for social equity licensing programs, and building business relationships with social impact organizations that have genuine community credibility. The communities most experienced with performative equity engagement are adept at distinguishing between brands that genuinely care and those using equity as a positioning strategy.

{Why is it important for legacy operators to maintain their stake in cannabis?}

Legacy cannabis operators - including many BIPOC founders who built the industry before legalization - represent one of the last groups in any major industry who still have a real opportunity to shape and control the market they helped create. As corporate capital accelerates consolidation in cannabis, the window for legacy operators to maintain meaningful ownership and influence is narrowing. Remaining diligent about ownership structures, brand identity, and community organizing is how this group preserves its stake against a consolidation dynamic that, left uncontested, would replicate the inequitable ownership patterns of most other industries.

{What is the connection between music and cannabis marketing?}

Music and cannabis share a longstanding cultural connection that brand activations and live events can leverage as regulations ease. Cannabis brands that were previously cautious about sponsoring music events - concerned about regulatory exposure or license risk - are gaining more confidence as enforcement clarity improves. Live music events provide cannabis brands with access to engaged audiences in authentic cultural contexts where the cannabis-music connection feels natural rather than forced, creating sponsorship and activation opportunities that traditional digital advertising cannot replicate. ]