What Our Brands Are Doing for Black Lives

At Sava we are committed to helping end systemic racism in our society as well as inequity in the cannabis industry. We recently published a list of commitments we are making as a company.

Many of you have asked what actions our brands have committed to, so we compiled a list. This list includes brand-submissions on the topic, so if you'd like more details on their actions or ownership structures please contact them directly.

We've also added a new feature to our website. You can now sort by BIPOC-owned brands under "values" the same way you can sort by women-owned brands.


BIPOC-owned brands on Sava

As of July 14, 2020.


What actions are our brands taking?

ARTET

We are humbled to run Artet, and yet, we recognize the privileged position we occupy in doing so. As a small family business, we are committed to building a company representative of the cannabis industry we want to see. Beyond our three family founders, our entire team (creative director and design team) is 100% Latinx and as we continue to grow, we commit to hiring practices that will provide opportunity to the BIPOC communities who have been harmed by the war on drugs. From our inception, we have used our platform to develop partnerships with organizations committed to helping BIPOC communities at different levels. The first organization is The Last Mile, which prepares incarcerated individuals for reentry through job-training. The second organization we support with quarterly donations is Boston University's Center for Anti-Racist Research founded by Dr. Ibram X. Kendi, whose goal is to use data-driven research to foster policy innovation that ensures equity and justice for all. 


ASTER FARMS

Aster Farms supports Success Centers Org and Equity First Alliance with monthly recurring donations. We also volunteer our time, teaching workshops at Success Centers Org and will be mentors at Our Academy workshop series for equity applicants. We work closely with equity retailers in the Bay Area, including Eco Cannabis and Vapor Room and supply Kushagram's compassionate use program with deeply discounted products. In 2019, we hosted Humble Bloom's "Healing Earth & Community," a weekend of education and inclusive conversation with a focus on BIPOC voices in the industry - we hope to do this again as soon as group gatherings are safe again. In June, we partnered with Sweet Flower delivery and CoolHaus ice cream on a campaign that donated 100% of sales as well as a matched donations by all three parties involved to support LGBTQ+ BIPOC rights (we're not allowed to say the organization as they could lose federal funding for accepting cannabis money). 


BHANG:

  • Maintaining a diverse board and leadership team: Having diverse leadership makes Bhang better.

  • Amplifying and sharing messages about ending racism and creating equity: We believe it is incumbent upon white America to acknowledge its privilege and use its power and influence to strive for an equitable society.

  • Requiring training for our staff on the issues of race, diversity, and bias: Diversity and inclusion are part of the fabric of Bhang. We believe it is critical to weave knowledge, inclusivity, and the appreciation of difference into the very fabric of our company’s culture.

  • Partnering with and utilizing BIPOC founded brands and partners: Bhang is a women-led company. A part of our corporate ethos is to share our access with women and people of color getting their start in the cannabis industry. We encourage our employees to share their knowledge and access by collaborating with, mentoring, and learning from women-owned and BIPOC-owned businesses in the industry.


CALEXO

Calexo is a company founded by black, queer, female, asian and immigrant folks. We commit to our hiring practices a continued emphasis on women and people of color above other candidates. We prioritize working with BIPOC and LGBTQ+ communities in our supply chain. We have and continue to make financial contributions to organizations like G.L.I.T.S, Black Earth Farms, Critical Resistance and the ACLU to address the legal and cultural hurdles in front of us and make meaningful change to make all of us feel safe, nourished and welcome in the communities we live. Creative expression is at the heart of what Calexo stands for. We continue to provide a platform for artists to share their stories through our audio/video experiences, Some Kind Of, hosted most recently in partnership with See Black Women arts collective.


CANN

We have committed to monthly financial contributions to organizations that promote equity in cannabis, offering special discounts to Black-owned dispensaries, amplifying POC voices weekly on our social media platforms, and reviewing 50%+ POC resumes for all open positions.


CHEMISTRY

We have a meaningful Equity partnership based in Oakland. We are working together to build up a local, black-owned business with purpose to support our collective community and bring the change that is so urgently needed. Get excited, there is a really special collaboration and products coming soon. We have partnered with Sweetleaf Collective because first and foremost, cannabis is medicine and we are committed to making sure people in need have access. We are en route to be plastic free by the end of 2020. We recently became a member of OSC2 - which is working toward a regenerative global economy and are committed to working with Sun & Earth certified farms. We believe environmental justice is social justice.


COSMIC VIEW

We're a small brand so we are working on small ways to better serve our patients communities:

  • A commitment to provide better inclusive health resources - So far this has included a focus on the incidence of fibroids in black cis female populations (and how to protect against them) and this week we'll be covering cannabis, COVID and health risk factors (and again, health / lifestyle) factors that are specific to communities of color.

  • Using our social platform to promote awareness about the BLM movement and social injustice (we were one of the first cannabis brands to do this).

  • Specials with retailers to donate a portion of profits for specific weeks. The week of the 15th, we donated 10% of our sales with Cornerstone Collective in LA to National Expungement week and we donated money to Minneapolis Freedom Fund the week of June 8.

  • Working in our spare time on causes that matter to us. Nicole has been donating legal research to the Police Accountability Project.


GREEN BEE BOTANICALS

  • Hiring a minimum of 40% BIPOC staff (currently our number is 50%) and BIPOC consultants (currently 100%).

  • Using our social media, blog, website, newsletter, personal conversations, and white privilege to support and promote Black-owned and equity-owned cannabis businesses, and diversity and inclusion.

  • Participating in Black Lives Matter protests, as individuals and as a company.

  • Donating to organizations that help free those jailed for cannabis offenses, get their records expunged, and assist them with reentry into society.

  • Developing a Commitment to Anti-Racism Contract with our staff.

  • Taking Rachel Cargle's The Great Unlearn anti-racism course, and learning from diversity coaches to mitigate our unconscious biases in hiring, promoting and decision-making.

  • Creating a safe space for our staff to discuss, call out, and demand consequences for racist behavior.

  • Basing our participation with vendors and events on how inclusive and diverse they are.


HUMBOLDT APOTHECARY

Humboldt Apothecary is designing a program to implement donations of 20% of our proceeds on certain days in specific dispensaries to programs that specifically support POC that have been incarcerated for cannabis crimes and programs that advocate for dismantling structural inequality and work for racial justice across gender, race, and class.


JAMES HENRY

We at James Henry SF are making sure that we take part of every city council meeting to help in shaping the laws around cannabis so that its inclusive. We also give free classes to teach other equity applicant/qualified applicants on how to structure their company in the cannabis space. We are also mentors to equity applicants. We also give a small portion of our revenue to an equity applicant who was effected by the riots and looting in Oakland. We strongly believe in community and uplifting marginalized communities.


JUNA

Juna is working to be better allies. We are committed to donating 1% of annual profits To organizations such as Last Prisoner Project and equity first that are focuses on expungement as well as using our social platform more to leverage Black voices in the wellness space.


KIKOKO

Black Lives Matter. We condemn racism and social injustice and stand with those fighting for change. At Kikoko, we're committed to doing our part towards creating a better future and taking tangible steps to challenge racism and support our colleagues, retail partners and communities. So, we will be making a donation to Campaign Zero, an organization that works to end police brutality in America. Kikoko also donates to the noble Last Prisoner Project. While those of us enjoy the safety of a now-legal cannabis market, over 40,000 people—the outrageous majority of them Black—remain in prison on nonviolent cannabis charges. Last Prisoner Project will not rest until every one of them is freed. Kikoko is devoted to being a part of the solution and we hope you join us.


KISKANU

It is part of our brand mission to encourage and support conversations and work around decolonizing wellness, cannabis, and natural medicine. We support NBPOC and women-owned brands and promote them every Wednesday at our dispensary. As a small, family-owned company still in its early stages of growth, we are committed to financially supporting social justice as much as we can. A percentage of our dispensary ATM withdrawals currently goes to The National Bail Out collective. We will continue donating products and proceeds to equity events that are dedicated to social justice. We have a diverse team of employees, content creators, and collaborators, and we will continue to support and circulate their work. Our brand has aligned with many Black, NBPOC, and LGBTQIA brands for education, content and events, and provide donations for many events as well as offering tickets to equity applicants to numerous educational events. We are committed to continuing our efforts.


KIVA 

Kiva has made donations to The Last Prisoner Project and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund to act in solidarity with the fight against systemic racism and the historic oppression of the black community, and the liberation of those wronged by the indefensible War on Drugs. We are continuing our support of The Last Prisoner Project's mission and recently raised over $2,100 online via Instagram Live. Kiva's employees have together raised an additional $10,355, which Kiva is matching dollar for dollar. These additional funds will be going to the following organizations, in amounts selected by the employees contributing: Color of ChangeBlack Lives MatterEqual Justice Initiative, Campaign ZeroThe Bail Project, and the ACLU, as well as the Last Prisoner Project and the NAACP Legal Defense Fund. Kiva has started a Culture Committee to continually examine how we can not only to improve our allyship, but also find ways to take continued meaningful action moving forward.


LADY GEMINI 

We are a Black man and white woman owned cannabis brand! Together we encompass social equity and social justice!


LEVEL

We have been supporting monetarily ACLU for years. We donate to Last Prisoner Project. $12,000 to SF Equity Group working project led be Nina Parks. Most importantly LEVEL is a safe and equitable workplace for all BIPOC with starting salaries of $19 / hour - free health insurance for all full time employees and zero tolerance for discrimination or racism.


MAAT APOTHECARY

As an Oakland Cannabis Equity brand, MAAT Apothecary has been dedicated to neutralizing the effects of systemic racism and harm from the War on Drugs. A portion of all MAAT Apothecary sales support restorative justice, poverty alleviation, and experiential wellness in historically traumatized communities.


MELLOWS

We've made a donation to ACLU and NAACP.


MOON MADE FARMS

As a BIPOC female cultivator in a rural homogenous male dominated culture, I have strived to create a platform for social change by offering work opportunities to a diverse and alternative group of marginalized and underrepresented people over the years. Moon Made Farms partners and employees have gone on to become land owners, business owners, creative entrepreneurs, and radical activists. Our goal is to directly impact the economic and cultural disparity in the greater cannabis culture and beyond.


OM EDIBLES

Donating proceeds of Lavender CBD Salts to BLM, donating proceeds of OM undies to period., donated cases of salts to Black healing event, using IG for political calls & education on BLM, newsletters with calls to action for donations & petitions to 8K recipients, amplifying Black-owned businesses.


PANTRY

For the rest of the summer, Pantry will be donating 10% of all purchases on Sava to the NAACP to contribute to the progress of equality.


PAPA & BARKLEY

Papa & Barkley is actively updating our people practices. This includes:

  • Increasing our presence within diverse communities of professionals to ensure our job opportunities are reaching underrepresented groups

  • Including implicit bias resources and assessments in our interview training for hiring managers to raise awareness of the role bias can play in the hiring process

  • Bringing outside speakers to lead educational presentations for our employees to provide our workforce with the opportunity to learn more about issues related to inequality and systemic racism

  • Creating an informational BLM tab on our company intranet to help employees educate themselves on racial inequality.

  • Deepening our analysis of our own supply chain to ensure our spending aligns with our values. To progress change outside of our company we have donated to three meaningful organizations that resonate with our team: 1) The Loveland Foundation 2) Black Lives Matter 3) ActBlue Split Your Donation.


PLUS

We are committed to the following actions: providing internal resources and education to PLUS employees and their families, starting with a four-part lecture series about race in America; creating space for and encouraging honest and open dialogue in both formal and informal forums, such as virtual company lunches; and using our platform to amplify and celebrate under-represented voices, such as featuring BIPOC members of the LGBTQ+ c ommunity during Pride month. Recently, we donated $1 per tin sold of our limited edition Pride gummy to the SF Queer Nightlife Fund, an organization that provides direct financial relief to workers in queer nightlife in the Bay Area who face financial insecurity as a result of COVID-19. Funds raised by SF QNF are allocated exclusively for lifeline expenses; for example multiple grants have enabled individuals to pay rent and stay in their homes during a time of incredible uncertainty.


POP-UP POTCORN

We are currently developing our programs, one being a virtual movie night where we highlight a local organization working towards ending racism in our community and amplify their voice and message via the event. We will also continue to use our social media platform to help amplify positive messaging for Black Lives, ending racism, and criminal justice reform.


POTLI

We joined Cannabis for Black Lives initiative led by Cannaclusive. Our team is currently only two people but will actively look to hiring BIPOC as we expand our team. We donated as individuals and on behalf of customers through potlishop.com to the BLM Global Movement, and as a food brand, it was important for us to consolidate a directory of BIPOC owned restaurants.


PURE BEAUTY

Pure Beauty has, for some time, worked directly with organizations that work with currently and post incarcerated populations. We not only make monetary contributions, but work directly with the program and the individuals it is serving. In addition to our ongoing contributions we recently donated $10k to Black Arts organizations that are in our immediate community, including The World StageThe Umoja Center, and Summaeverythang. We will continue work with organizations like these that align with our interests and values. We are also developing an apprenticeship program that will bring social equity applicants into our cultivation and will include exposure to other sectors--e.g. distribution, retail and manufacturing. The goal being to increase diversity in cultivation specifically and the industry more broadly. We know there is so much more to do and will continue to make social justice a core part of our mission.


QUIM

At Quim, we've been using our social media channels and mailers to uplift Black voices, and promote Black Lives Matter movement content. We've made donations to The Last Prisoner ProjectBlack Lives MatterB.A.J.I.Black Trans Travel Fund, and the Official George Floyd Memorial Fund. As a small company, we're exploring a few options that would allow us to amplify our donations on an ongoing basis. Our founders have taken part in an anti-racism workshop in order to gain the tools needed to ensure Quim is an actively anti-racist environment, and will continue doing related work.


ROSE LOS ANGELES

We’ve been turning our attention to help support local Black-owned companies in the industry, one of which has been significantly impacted by the looting following the George Floyd murder.


SHOKI

Mentoring legacy brands and helping to create pathways for their future success.


SONDER

  • We have committed to continue hiring a diverse group to support Sonder. 28% of our 7 person team are POC, 71% of our team are part of the LGBTQIA+ community and 71% of our team identify as women.

  • We have 1 gay Black man on our C Suite.

  • We have been committed since day one to partnering with Black-owned businesses. Our distributor is Black woman-owned, our manufacturing partner is Black-owned, our engineering partner is Black-owned.

  • We are committed to helping Black women-owned businesses in cannabis and cannabis adjacent companies by mentoring them, sharing our services and expertise, and sharing our community of investors and partners.


STONE ROAD

Besides hiring more BIPOC associates we’ve started a grant program to support BIPOC creatives and projects. We’ve already funded murals in NY, a queer Muslim short film, and a recently arrived Afghani family.


SUNRISE GARDENS

We are donating a percentage of our proceeds to the Equal Justice Initiative and the Last Prisoner Project. Both organizations are working on ending mass incarceration and changing legislation to repair past and present injustices of the war on drugs.


SWEET RELEAF

  • Donating: Giving a percentage of revenue to advocacy organizations working to end systemic racism and unjust cannabis-related sentences, especially in Black & Brown communities disproportionately impacted by the War on Drugs. We will also donate to LGBTQ youth advocacy organizations.

  • Equity: Engaging in conversations with local BIPOC-owned cannabis companies to better understand how we can help financially. If you are a BIPOC cultivator, manufacturer, retailer or women-owned brand, we have some ideas and want to talk.

  • Hiring: Continuing to hire a diverse workforce and engaging in anti-racist education and training.

  • Visibility & Access: Elevating BIPOC voices and visibility on our channels and sharing time, knowledge, and skills with other cannabis entrepreneurs.

  • Compassion: Working with retail partners and cannabis organizations to revitalize the Compassion allowed during Prop. 215 era to donate free products to financially-challenged patients again.


THE FARMACEUTICALS CO.

The Farmaceuticals Co. stands firmly with the Black Lives Matter movement. We acknowledge the systemically racist systems that uphold and exonerate the injustices done to Black people, and as a queer white woman owned company, we recognize our part in these systems. As a company, we staunchly believe that when diverse voices are at the table, we are better and stronger for it. We will continue to make hiring choices that specifically bring in black and brown voices and talents. We will also continue to make recurring donations to BLM and to amplify BIPOC-owned businesses. The racist systems in this industry work to help white people make a profit, while there are countless black people still incarcerated on cannabis charges. Additionally, the resources to build a cannabis business are extremely limited to BIPOC. These injustices are in no way specific to the cannabis industry, and we pledge to do everything we can to end these injustices in our industry and in the world at large.


VETCBD

May the memories of those who have lost their lives to injustice, light the path to a brighter tomorrow. VETCBD is in the preliminary stages of creating a scholarship for disadvantaged youth that have historically had harder access to education. We are currently looking for partners in this endeavor to help us brighten the future of hard-working students.


Read our blog post to learn more about Sava's commitments to change: https://www.getsava.com/blogs/our-commitments