Mujjahid Huq: A New Era, A Persistent Stigma

Cannabis has entered a new chapter. Legalization continues to spread across the United States, public opinion is shifting, and research is correcting decades of misinformation. Yet stigma persists. Despite growing acceptance, the industry faces a pivotal question: who should lead the conversation about reform and justice?

For Mujjahid Huq, a longtime advocate for equity in cannabis, the answer is clear. The people most qualified to carry this responsibility are cannabis professionals themselves, especially those who have lived through the consequences of prohibition.

Why Corporations Cannot Lead the Way

Mujjahid Huq is blunt about the risks of leaving reform in the hands of large corporations. “When billion-dollar companies talk about social justice, it is usually for appearances, not principles,” he says. History provides reasons to be cautious. From tobacco’s pivot to vaping to food giants profiting from unhealthy products, corporate America has consistently placed shareholder profit above public well-being.

Even in cannabis, Huq argues, corporations will face the same conflict between moral responsibility and the bottom line. The surge of corporate support for Black Lives Matter offered a clear lesson. Once the costs outweighed the benefits, most of those commitments quietly disappeared.

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Entrepreneurs as the Ethical Backbone

Independent cannabis entrepreneurs, particularly those from communities disproportionately harmed by prohibition, often enter the space with different priorities. Their work is not centred on profit alone. It is rooted in repair, healing, and empowerment.

For Mujjahid Huq, social equity programs are essential. They are not optional add-ons but requirements for building a just industry. These programs create opportunities for individuals who were once criminalized for cannabis to participate in its growth.

By investing in education, training, and scholarships, these entrepreneurs can become the ethical backbone of the industry. They have the potential to turn cannabis into a driver of renewal for communities that have long been denied opportunity.

Holding the Cannabis Industry Accountable

Mujjahid Huq acknowledges that large corporations will remain part of cannabis. Their resources and infrastructure are significant. But he insists that participation must come with accountability. He calls for clear requirements that turn promises of equity into measurable outcomes.

– Tax revenues and profits should be reinvested in education, reentry programs, and local development.
– Companies should establish apprenticeship programs for people with prior cannabis convictions.
– Scholarships and grants should be directed to students in communities most impacted by prohibition.
– A federal equity standard should replace the current patchwork of state-level rules.

“These are not radical demands,” Huq says. “They are basic requirements if we want cannabis to become a truly restorative industry.”

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A Moment That Cannot Be Wasted

Cannabis has a rare opportunity. Unlike alcohol or tobacco, it is emerging at a time when social justice is a mainstream concern. This allows stakeholders to shape the market differently.

For communities devastated by the war on drugs, legalization is more than an economic shift. It is a chance for dignity, repair, and renewal. Whether that promise is realized, Huq argues, will depend on advocates, professionals, and entrepreneurs who know both the damage prohibition caused and the potential the industry now offers.

“Cannabis can be profitable,” Mujjahid Huq says. “But more importantly, it can be transformative. The people who carry its history are the only ones who can lead it with justice at its core.”