Malaki Amen’s mission in the cannabis industry goes far beyond consumption.
Amen has now fulfilled a 9-year-old dream as the owner of a cannabis shop in Sacramento, CA. He calls the experience a “full-circle moment in a much longer equity journey,” according to information shared with AFROTECH™. As a survivor of the war on drugs and a witness to the disproportionate harm among Black communities as it relates to the criminalization of cannabis, Amen says he has turned pain into purpose that goes beyond policy and into implementation.
His call to action to become a leader of change was strengthened after Proposition 64 was passed in California in November 2016, he mentioned in a LinkedIn post. The law permits the use and cultivation of marijuana for those who are at least 21 years old, according to the Judicial Branch of California. It also lowers criminal penalties for marijuana-related offenses for adults and juveniles, as well as offers possible resentencing or dismissal for certain related convictions. Amen says he observed that there was no real plan to establish genuine equity in his community.
“Sacramento had no one willing to carry the heavy, ongoing work of justice-centered policy and community organizing—so I stepped up. This call and cause required me to work about 15-20 hours every week, without compensation, for an entire year,” he said, per LinkedIn.
Amen’s commitment resulted in Sacramento’s adoption of the Cannabis Opportunity, Reinvestment & Equity (CORE) program, which works to ensure marginalized communities have a stake in the legal cannabis industry, according to The Business Journals. Amen says in his LinkedIn post that the primary goal for spearheading CORE was to open the Sacramento region’s $3 billion cannabis industry, to communities most harmed by criminalization.
STIIIZY Sacramento
Amen had the opportunity to apply for ownership three years after the establishment of CORE, and he received one of the 10 licenses approved for the operation of a cannabis dispensary in Sacramento, The Business Journals reported. On Saturday, Feb. 7, Amen will gather for the grand opening of STIIIZY Sacramento, which previously held a soft opening in December.
The location sits at the corner of 24th Street, and Sutterville Bypass, along a corridor where Amen spent a portion of his upbringing, according to the outlet. It also marks the first STIIIZY location in Sacramento and becomes its 50th retail site, he told AFROTECH™. What’s more, it is the fourth Black-owned cannabis shop in the city, joining Crystal Nugs, Zen Garden, and Embarc Sacramento Cannabis Dispensary.
The work continues. Amen acknowledges to AFROTECH™ that there are several existing gaps that he is looking to address, recognizing that less than 2% of local cannabis tax revenues are used to reinvest in business and economic development for CORE-eligible populations, and CORE-eligible entrepreneurs are still limited in access to cannabis beyond the sector.
“Our fight has always been about empowering ourselves to heal and repair the harm of criminalization,” Amen told AFROTECH™. “Equity becomes real when the communities targeted by the War on Drugs are not just included, but are thriving economically.”
For those looking to support Amen and STIIIZY Sacramento, the shop is located at 4080 24th St.
