FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wednesday, May 5, 2021

Contact: Violet Cavendish
vcavendish@mpp.org

Washington, D.C. — The Marijuana Policy Project, the nation’s leading cannabis policy organization, announced Wednesday that it has appointed Tahir Johnson to serve as the organization’s Director of Social Equity and Inclusion.

“We are thrilled by the vision Tahir has for our work in the DEI space. Tahir’s extensive experience will undoubtedly strengthen our efforts to advance social equity reforms while we continue our mission to end cannabis prohibition,” said Steve Hawkins, MPP’s executive director.

Tahir’s work will focus on organizing community stakeholders to ensure that social equity, diversity, and inclusion are at the forefront of policy considerations as we work to repeal cannabis prohibition at the state and federal levels. He will also be developing a number of programs to prepare communities of color for economic opportunities in cannabis, including working with HBCUs to create a pipeline for internships and careers in the cannabis industry.

“I'm excited to join the team at MPP to support our movement as the leading organization working to end cannabis prohibition in the United States. As we continue to develop social equity best practices, it is my priority to ensure that communities that have been harmed by prohibition also stand to benefit from legalization through economic empowerment and restorative justice,” said Johnson.

Tahir also serves as the Director of Social Equity and Inclusion for the United States Cannabis Council where he advances its mission of achieving equity and justice for those impacted by cannabis prohibition. Prior to joining MPP, he was the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Manager at the National Cannabis Industry Association. A skilled networker, Tahir also has extensive hands-on industry experience in the retail sector as a medical cannabis patient counselor and has applied for cannabis business licenses in both Maryland and New Jersey. Before he pursued his passion for supporting the cannabis community, he worked as a financial advisor and served on the diversity council of Morgan Stanley.

Tahir attended Howard University, where he majored in marketing. He also holds a Marijuana Master Certificate from the Cannabis Training University and a certification in Indoor Horticulture from Oaksterdam University. 

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Founded in 1995, the Marijuana Policy Project (MPP) is the nation’s leading cannabis policy reform organization. MPP has played a central role in passing dozens of cannabis policy reforms in states across the country, including 10 successful cannabis legalization campaigns, and also works to advance federal reforms.

Visit www.mpp.org for more information.