Green Thumb Industries Continues Community Investment Initiatives with Scholarships and Expanded Partnerships to Promote Diversity in the Cannabis Industry

CHICAGO and VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Feb. 25, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Green Thumb Industries, a leading cannabis consumer packaged goods company and owner of Rise Dispensaries, is expanding key partnerships and creating scholarships earmarked for those from communities most impacted by the war on drugs as part of its corporate social responsibility program. The scholarships will be granted to a total of four students for programs at the Cleveland School of Cannabis in Ohio and Olive-Harvey College in Illinois. Additionally, Green Thumb will continue its support of Cabrini Green Legal Aid and partner with the North Lawndale Employment Network in Chicago as part of ongoing collaborations that include financial support, volunteerism and awareness initiatives.

Building on the foundation of Green Thumb’s LEAP initiative, which provided pro-bono support for social equity license applicants in Illinois and which will soon offer business incubator resources to newly awarded social equity entrepreneurs, these impactful partnerships mark a critical next step in prioritizing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the cannabis industry.

“Education is the foundation of opportunity and the Green Thumb team is honored to support scholarships that create pipelines of diversity into the cannabis industry, specifically by partnering with nonprofits that address issues facing communities disproportionally impacted by the war on drugs,” said Green Thumb Corporate Social Responsibility Director Michael Fields. “We believe it is our responsibility to continue to help reduce barriers to entry, increase diversity and promote opportunity throughout the industry.”

The programs with available scholarships include:

Cleveland School of Cannabis: The Cleveland School of cannabis will award a “Resilience Scholarship” to two students impacted by the war on drugs, as determined by an independent application review committee, funded by Green Thumb. The mission of the Cleveland School of Cannabis is to foster adult learning through high-quality, residential and online education that integrates personal development along with career-oriented skills and knowledge related to cannabis, science, and business, to prepare graduates for entry-level employment in the industry. Tuition covers all resources and fees needed to complete the 150-hour on-line cannabis certificate program. For more information visit www.csceducation.com.