Coney Island Cannabiz Camp

In which borough should your idea take place? Brooklyn

Do you have a specific neighborhood(s) in mind?

Coney Island

Which audience(s) does your idea help? Select as many as apply.

Parents

Justice impacted individuals

Veterans

Low income individuals

Black, Indigenous, and POC

Older adults

Unemployed individuals

LGBTQ+ community

Immigrants and/or migrants

Public housing residents

People with disabilities

Describe the challenge you want to address:

It is imperative that the Coney Island community receives comprehensive cannabis education across all levels to understand the burgeoning potential of cannabis entrepreneurship and the businesses emerging in our neighborhoods. Historically, our communities have endured prejudice and mistreatment due to their association with cannabis, fostering a detrimental stigma that breeds discrimination based on personal beliefs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for educational workshops and training resources to empower our community members to navigate and thrive within this billion-dollar industry, spanning from cultivation to advocacy.

Coney Island, predominantly a low-income community, has disproportionately felt the adverse effects of cannabis-related injustices, particularly affecting its Black and Brown residents, despite the decriminalization of cannabis since 1977. With the cannabis industry now regulated in New York, there exists a remarkable opportunity for economic growth that could greatly benefit our community in Coney Island.

Describe your idea and approach to address the challenge:

Our organization aims to establish a series of cannabis-focused entrepreneurial programs designed to offer training, seminars, resources, and free business start-up consulting to small business owners in Coney Island. These programs will extend support in navigating official applications, particularly aiding qualified individuals from the local community to venture into newly emerging sectors within the cannabis industry.

Our primary objective is to ensure that federally regulated and law-abiding shops and services are strategically positioned within our communities. Additionally, we aim to inspire others to create new and innovative cannabis businesses that cater to our communities and cultures in a proper and safe manner.

Write the zipcode that best represents your New York City community:

11224