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Weed Companies Host Fundraiser For Girl Harassed By Permit Patty

Weed Companies Host Fundraiser For Girl Harassed By Permit Patty

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Weed Companies Host Fundraiser For Girl Harassed By Permit Patty

On Saturday, Bay Area cannabis companies and the larger community held a fundraiser for Jordan Rodgers’ education fund.

The outpouring of support for the young entrepreneur at the center of last month’s Permit Patty incident continued over the weekend, as Bay Area cannabis companies hosted a fundraiser for 8-year-old Jordan Rodgers on Saturday. But in the aftermath of the viral video that took down a popular cannabis company CEO, members of the community are using the opportunity to highlight the need for more diversity and inclusiveness in the industry.

Bay Area Cannabis Community Rallies To Support Young Entrepreneur

By now, virtually everyone has seen the Permit Patty video capturing a white woman calling the police on a young black girl for selling water “without a permit.”

And by now, everyone has learned that the woman, Alison Ettel, was CEO of a popular cannabis company specializing in CBD products and cannabis for pets and humans.

And everyone has also come to know the name of Jordan Rodgers, the young entrepreneur selling water to raise money for a family trip to Disneyland.

Once the video of Ettel calling the police on Rodgers went viral, thanks to quick thinking by Rodgers’ mother, outrage spread across social media.

Companies that had carried Ettel’s popular Treatwell Health products responded by dropping their contracts and selling off inventory at bargain prices. And almost immediately, supports of Jordan sent her and her family tickets to Disney.

But as outrage continued to mount, Ettel was ultimately compelled to step down as CEO of Treatwell. And for a simple reason.

Ettel’s calling the police on a young black girl for nothing became a symbol of something else: racial prejudice.

Cannabis Companies Call for Industry To Champion Diversity After Permit Patty Video

In the eyes of many, including those in the Bay Area cannabis industry, Ettel’s actions represented a much larger problem.

The cannabis industry is growing at a breakneck pace across the country. But diversity within that industry is sorely lacking.

Considering the blatant history of drug law enforcement in the United States, especially regarding marijuana, many feel racial equity has to be a key priority as cannabis becomes legal and fully mainstream.

And for the companies who hosted a fundraiser for Jordan Rodgers on Saturday, the event was a chance to send a clear message.

Or in the words of Apothecarium’s Eliot Dobris, “we’re sending a message that the cannabis industry needs to be diverse, inclusive and kind.”

Dispensaries Who Dropped Permit Patty Raise Money for Young Entrepreneur

Bay Area cannabis companies and the broader community got together in Oakland on Saturday to call for greater inclusion and the draw in support for Jordan Rodgers.

At the Pergola at Lake Merritt, the fundraiser featured Rodgers herself. As she had been doing before Permit Patty called the cops on her, Jordan was selling bottled waters and food donated to her by a handful of cannabis companies. Jordan also got to keep all of the proceeds for her college fund.

Companies who donated water and food to the fundraising event were Apothecarium, Magnolia and Kind Culture.

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