Despite DEI becoming standard practice, opportunity in cannabis still splits sharply. In 2024, veterans held just 1.5% of cannabis licenses even though they make up 7% of the US population, while women received only 14% of seed funding. The gap between policy intent and who actually gets funded, licensed, and hired is what the following statistics help clarify.
Key Takeaways
- Black entrepreneurs face 89% less VC access in cannabis, $5M avg vs $45M white, 2023
- Women founders receive 14% of seed funding despite 30% applications, 2024 data
- 75% POC report felony barriers to licensing despite expungements, 2023 survey
- 64% disabled cannabis workers report accessibility barriers in 2023
- Veterans own 1.5% of cannabis licenses despite 7% US population, 2024 VA data
- Only 2.7% of execs have disabilities in cannabis, 2023 survey
- 82% of cannabis firms implemented DEI training programs by 2023, reaching 45% employee participation
- Social equity licenses awarded: 35% of total in legal states, but only 15% operational 2024
- Mentorship programs for POC: 28% firms, 12% retention boost 2023
- Women hold 38% of cannabis industry jobs but only 18% of leadership roles in 2023
- Female CEOs in public cannabis companies: 12% as of 2024
- 2022 data shows 65% gender pay gap in cannabis cultivation for women vs men
- 33% of LGBTQ+ cannabis workers identify as queer women, facing 2x discrimination rates in 2023
- Only 4.1% of cannabis executives openly identify as LGBTQ+ per 2024 survey
- 2022 data: 62% of trans cannabis applicants report identity-based hiring barriers
Cannabis still has major equity gaps in funding, licensing, and leadership, leaving marginalized groups underrepresented.
Related reading
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- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Life Sciences Industry Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Supply Chain Industry Statistics
- Diversity Equity And Inclusion In IndustryDiversity Equity And Inclusion In The Automotive Aftermarket Industry Statistics
01 · Category
Barriers And Challenges19 stats
01
Black entrepreneurs face 89% less VC access in cannabis, $5M avg vs $45M white, 2023
02
Women founders receive 14% of seed funding despite 30% applications, 2024 data
03
75% POC report felony barriers to licensing despite expungements, 2023 survey
04
Latinx cultivators denied loans at 2x rate of whites, 2022 banking study
05
Veteran PTSD stigma blocks 41% from management roles, 2024
06
Disabled accessibility costs deter 33% small biz entry, 2023
07
LGBTQ+ disclosure leads to 28% higher layoff risk, 2022 poll
08
$2B lost revenue from minority exclusion, projected 2024
09
82% women cite childcare as barrier to full-time roles, 2023 CA
10
Native sovereignty conflicts block 15 licenses annually, 2024
11
Trans workers face 55% restroom access issues, 2023 dispensaries
12
AAPI model minority myth pressures 62% out of advocacy, 2022
13
91% equity license delays avg 18 months, bankrupting 24%, 2024 NY
14
Hispanic wage theft reports 3x higher in grows, 2023 CO
15
Black brand shelf space: 1% despite 5% ownership bids, 2024
16
67% disabled denied trims jobs sans accommodations, 2023 OR
17
Queer funding skepticism: 37% investor bias admitted, 2023 VC
18
Women promo rates 16% lower post-maternity, 2024 study
19
44% POC face microaggressions weekly, turnover 2x, 2022
Interpretation
Barriers And Challenges Interpretation
Across the cannabis industry, barriers are stark and persistent, with Black entrepreneurs getting 89% less VC access than white founders and 75% of POC still reporting felony licensing hurdles even after expungements, showing how structural inequities keep limiting who can enter and grow in the market.
02 · Category
Disability And Veteran Inclusion26 stats
01
64% disabled cannabis workers report accessibility barriers in 2023
02
Veterans own 1.5% of cannabis licenses despite 7% US population, 2024 VA data
03
Only 2.7% of execs have disabilities in cannabis, 2023 survey
04
2022: 49% veteran applicants face licensing hurdles due to records
05
Wheelchair-accessible dispensaries: 34% nationwide 2024
06
Disabled workforce representation: 4.2%, matching US avg but leadership 1.1%, 2023
07
Veteran-owned brands: 8% shelf space growth in 2023
08
71% disabled trimmers lack ergonomic tools, 2022 CO
09
Blind cannabis consultants: 0.3% industry, adaptive tech 12% adoption, 2024
10
Veteran VC funding: $25M of $900M in 2023
11
Neurodiverse employees: 5% disclosed, training programs 18% firms, 2023
12
2024 NY: Veteran social equity licenses 6%
13
Deaf budtenders: 1.4%, ASL interpreters 7% dispensaries, 2023
14
PTSD veteran relief via cannabis jobs: 22% employed, 2024
15
Chronic pain workers: 9% workforce, accommodations 29%, 2023 OR
16
56% disabled report hiring bias, 2022 NCIA
17
Veteran microbusinesses MI: 3.1% licenses 2024
18
Mobility impaired execs: 0.9%, 2023
19
2023 IL: Disabled conditional licenses 4%
20
Veteran-owned extraction: 2.2% firms, 2024
21
Autism spectrum in R&D: 7%, support 21%, 2023
22
Accessible websites: 41% cannabis retailers, 2024 ADA
23
67% veterans prefer cannabis industry for flexibility, employed 11%, 2023
24
Hearing impaired compliance roles: 2.1%, 2023
25
33% disabled women underrepresented doubly, 2024
26
Veteran conferences: 9% speakers 2023
Interpretation
Disability And Veteran Inclusion Interpretation
In disability and veteran inclusion, the most striking gap is that while wheelchair accessible dispensaries reach 34% nationwide and 64% of disabled workers report accessibility barriers in 2023, only 2.7% of cannabis executives have disabilities and veterans hold just 1.5% of licenses despite making up 7% of the US population.
03 · Category
Equity And Access Programs29 stats
01
82% of cannabis firms implemented DEI training programs by 2023, reaching 45% employee participation
02
Social equity licenses awarded: 35% of total in legal states, but only 15% operational 2024
03
Mentorship programs for POC: 28% firms, 12% retention boost 2023
04
Supplier diversity spend: $1.2B industry-wide 2023, 22% to minority vendors
05
Unconscious bias training: 67% adoption, 19% bias reduction per audits 2024
06
Equity grants total $50M in 2023, 41% to women/minorities
07
Inclusive hiring pipelines: 39% firms, 25% diverse hires increase, 2023 CA
08
Pay equity audits: 52% conducted, closing 8% gaps 2024
09
ERGs in cannabis: 44% companies, LGBTQ+ most common at 31%, 2023
10
Scholarship funds for diverse students: $2.5M awarded 2023
11
2024 CO: Restorative justice program licensed 120 POC businesses
12
DEI certification programs: 17% firms certified, 14% revenue premium, 2023
13
Community reinvestment: 11% profits to equity causes, $300M 2023
14
Flexible work policies for caregivers: 36% adoption, 22% retention women, 2024
15
Language access in licensing: 29% states offer Spanish, 2023
16
71% firms track DEI metrics post-2022 mandates
17
Incubator programs: 45 active, 300+ diverse startups supported 2024
18
2023 NY: Justice-involved expungement aided 2,500 applicants
19
DEI budget allocation: avg 1.2% payroll, up 40% from 2021, 2024
20
Partner diversity events: 56% firms sponsored, 18K attendees 2023
21
Equity loan funds: $75M disbursed, 62% to POC/women 2024
22
66% report improved culture scores post-DEI initiatives, 2023 survey
23
23 states have cannabis equity funds totaling $200M by 2024
24
Apprenticeships for underserved: 1,800 placed, 65% retention 2023
25
48% POC barriers to capital via equity programs mitigated 2024
26
Veteran hiring quotas: 12% firms, 8% workforce increase, 2023
27
Gender neutral bathrooms: 61% dispensaries post-DEI push 2024
28
2023 IL community grants: $10M to equity orgs
29
DEI ROI: 15% higher productivity in trained firms, 2024 study
Interpretation
Equity And Access Programs Interpretation
Equity and access programs in the cannabis industry are expanding quickly, with 82% of firms offering DEI training and $50M in 2023 equity grants, but social equity progress lags sharply since only 15% of awarded licenses were operational in 2024.
More related reading
04 · Category
Gender Diversity28 stats
01
Women hold 38% of cannabis industry jobs but only 18% of leadership roles in 2023
02
Female CEOs in public cannabis companies: 12% as of 2024
03
2022 data shows 65% gender pay gap in cannabis cultivation for women vs men
04
Women-owned cannabis businesses: 26% of total licenses in California 2023
05
Only 22% of cannabis board seats held by women in 2024, per Deloitte study
06
Female representation in sales roles: 45%, but drops to 15% in C-suite, 2023
07
71% of women in cannabis report maternity leave challenges, 2022 survey
08
Women secure 28% of cannabis VC funding in 2023, up from 15% in 2020
09
In dispensaries, 52% of budtenders are women, but only 9% managers, 2024
10
Female founders in edibles: 35% of brands, 2023 data
11
2024 report: 19% of cannabis execs are women of color
12
Women in extraction labs: 41% workforce, 14% leadership, 2023
13
CO women-owned licenses: 1,200 out of 2,800 (43%) in 2023
14
Gender harassment reports: 34% from women in cannabis, 2022
15
Female VPs in marketing: 27%, 2024
16
55% of female cannabis workers earn under $50K, vs 42% men, 2023
17
Women on advisory boards: 24% average, 2023 study
18
NY women conditional licenses: 48% awarded, 2024
19
Female trimming crews: 68%, leadership 12%, OR 2023
20
2023 VC: Women-led firms raised $120M of $800M total
21
Women in compliance: 39%, 2024 data
22
Cannabis conference speakers: 31% women in 2023
23
Female ownership in Michigan: 29% of caregiver licenses, 2023
24
44% women report promotion bias, 2022 NCIA
25
Women in R&D: 36%, patents held 18%, 2024
26
WA women microbusiness: 52% licenses, 2023
27
27% female CFOs in cannabis publics, 2024
28
Women budtenders earn 12% less on average, 2023 CA
Interpretation
Gender Diversity Interpretation
Despite women making up 38% of cannabis industry jobs, their representation drops sharply in leadership roles, such as only 18% leadership in 2023 and women holding just 22% of cannabis board seats in 2024.
05 · Category
Lgbtq+ Inclusion26 stats
01
33% of LGBTQ+ cannabis workers identify as queer women, facing 2x discrimination rates in 2023
02
Only 4.1% of cannabis executives openly identify as LGBTQ+ per 2024 survey
03
2022 data: 62% of trans cannabis applicants report identity-based hiring barriers
04
Queer-owned brands represent 3.7% of dispensary shelf space in 2023
05
77% of LGBTQ+ workers in cannabis hide identity at work, 2024 study
06
Non-binary representation: 1.2% workforce, 0.3% leadership, 2023 CO
07
2023 VC to LGBTQ+-led startups: 2.4% of total ($19M)
08
51% of gay men in cannabis report promotion glass ceiling, 2022
09
Lesbian-owned dispensaries: 14 in CA out of 600, 2.3% 2024
10
Trans employees: 0.9% industry-wide, harassment 45% higher, 2023
11
Bisexual budtenders: 8% of staff, 2% managers, 2024 OR
12
68% LGBTQ+ report inclusive policies lacking, 2023 survey
13
Queer POC execs: 0.8%, 2024 data
14
NY social equity LGBTQ+ licenses: 7% awarded, 2023
15
2022: 33% queer women face dual discrimination
16
Gay-owned extraction firms: 5 nationwide, 1.1% market 2024
17
76% LGBTQ+ workers value pronoun policies, adoption 22%, 2023
18
IL LGBTQ+ conditional licenses: 9% to queer applicants, 2024
19
41% of pansexual staff in marketing, underrecognized, 2023
20
Queer conference speakers: 6% in 2023
21
2024 MI: LGBTQ+ caregivers 4.2% licenses
22
Asexual representation: 1.5% workforce, 0% execs, 2023 survey
23
55% LGBTQ+ report mental health support gaps, 2024
24
Queer-owned edibles: 2.8% share, 2023
25
28% of cannabis firms have LGBTQ+ ERGs, up from 12% 2020, 2024
26
Trans board seats: 0.4%, 2023 national
Interpretation
Lgbtq+ Inclusion Interpretation
Across LGBTQ+ inclusion in cannabis, representation is still severely limited, with only 4.1% of executives openly identifying as LGBTQ+ while 77% of LGBTQ+ workers hide their identity at work and just 1.2% of the workforce is non-binary.
06 · Category
Racial And Ethnic Diversity30 stats
01
In 2023, only 1.2% of cannabis dispensary ownership in the US was held by Black entrepreneurs, despite Black Americans comprising 13.6% of the population
02
A 2022 survey found 78% of Latinx cannabis workers reported experiencing workplace discrimination based on ethnicity
03
Native American ownership of cannabis businesses stands at 0.4% nationally, while they represent 1.3% of the US population per 2023 data
04
2024 Leafly report indicates Asian Americans hold just 2.1% of executive positions in cannabis firms
05
In California, Black-owned cannabis licenses number only 38 out of 1,500+ as of 2023, equating to 2.5%
06
65% of Hispanic cannabis cultivators in Colorado reported barriers to licensing due to prior convictions in 2022
07
AAPI representation in cannabis marketing roles is 1.8%, per 2023 Green Market Report
08
Black women own less than 0.5% of US cannabis retail licenses in 2024
09
2023 data shows 82% of cannabis industry venture capital went to white-led startups, leaving 18% for POC
10
Indigenous cannabis businesses grew by 15% in 2023 but still represent 0.3% of total licenses
11
55% of Latinx employees in cannabis report underpayment compared to white peers, 2022 study
12
Black executives in cannabis dropped to 3.1% in 2024 from 4.2% in 2021
13
2023 survey: 71% of Native American applicants denied cannabis licenses due to equity program gaps
14
Asian-owned cannabis brands secured 1.7% of shelf space in dispensaries in 2023
15
In New York, POC hold 12% of conditional adult-use retail licenses as of 2024
16
68% of Black cannabis workers face hiring bias, per 2023 NCIA poll
17
Hispanic representation on cannabis boards is 4.6% in 2023
18
0.8% of Michigan cannabis microbusiness licenses awarded to Native owners in 2023
19
AAPI funding in cannabis startups: $12M in 2023 vs $450M total
20
2024 data: Black women CEOs in cannabis: 17 out of 500 major firms (3.4%)
21
Latinx cultivators in Oregon: 7% of total, but 25% of workforce, 2023
22
Indigenous land-based cannabis ops: 22 nationwide in 2023
23
76% of POC report cultural insensitivity in cannabis workplaces, 2022
24
Black-owned edibles brands: 2.3% market share 2024
25
2023: Asian execs in extraction: 1.9%
26
NY Social Equity licenses: 50% minority awarded but only 20% operational 2024
27
62% Hispanic workers in trimming roles, underpromoted, 2023 CO data
28
Native American cannabis revenue: $45M in 2023, 0.2% industry total
29
AAPI in compliance roles: 3.2%, 2024
30
Black license holders in IL: 15% of social equity but 1% revenue share, 2023
Interpretation
Racial And Ethnic Diversity Interpretation
Racial and ethnic inequities remain stark in the cannabis industry, with Black entrepreneurs holding just 1.2% of dispensary ownership and Native Americans owning only 0.4% of cannabis businesses while facing discrimination and licensing barriers that keep representation far below their population shares.
report visual · Key figures
Disparities in access, leadership, and barriers in cannabis
Key indicators show underrepresentation and higher barrier rates across race, gender, and disability categories.
1.2%
In 2023, only 1.2% of cannabis dispensary ownership in the US was held by Black entrepreneurs, despite Black Americans c
19%
2024 report: 19% of cannabis execs are women of color
38%
Women hold 38% of cannabis industry jobs but only 18% of leadership roles in 2023
41%
Veteran PTSD stigma blocks 41% from management roles, 2024
33%
Disabled accessibility costs deter 33% small biz entry, 2023
14%
Women founders receive 14% of seed funding despite 30% applications, 2024 data
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Alexander Schmidt. (2026, February 13). Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Cannabis Industry Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-cannabis-industry-statistics
MLA
Alexander Schmidt. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Cannabis Industry Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-cannabis-industry-statistics.
Chicago
Alexander Schmidt. 2026. "Diversity Equity And Inclusion In The Cannabis Industry Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/diversity-equity-and-inclusion-in-the-cannabis-industry-statistics.
Sources & references
80 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level