City investment in ENYCLT’s vision for a worker-owned cooperative retail dispensary will acknowledge the historical harm caused by the racist prohibition and criminalization of marijuana possession as evidenced by the data. In addition, the city will be taking a concrete step forward to creating space for a social equity applicant, an applicant from a community disproportionately impacted by enforcement of cannabis prohibition, to economically thrive. The dispensary would be an investment in sustainable cooperative jobs that would empower workers from East New York and allow them to build wealth in a retail industry that can be exploitative for workers. Rather than create an opportunity for worker exploitation, a common feature of the typical employer-employee model, the ENYCLT is working to ensure that this space is managed and operated by worker-owners. Why? Simply put, collective ownership and democratic governance give all workers a voice which results in higher salaries, more stable employment, and keeps community wealth in the community.
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