Gitnux/Report 2026

Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Cannabis Industry Statistics

Despite DEI training reaching 82% of cannabis firms by 2023, participation is still uneven and leadership remains starkly out of reach, with women holding 38% of industry jobs but only 18% of leadership roles in 2023. Read the page for the sharp gaps that persist in funding, licensing, and workplace treatment across race, gender, disability, and LGBTQ+ communities.
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July 7, 2026Updated
Diversity Equity and Inclusion in the Cannabis Industry Statistics
Alexander SchmidtWritten by Alexander Schmidt·Edited by Olivia Thornton·Fact-checked by Rebecca Hargrove
Published ·Updated
How this report is researched
01Editorial Scope

Gitnux editors write the brief first: the topic, the inclusion rules, and the frame for what belongs.

02Source Research

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Read our full methodology →

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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

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

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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.

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