As cannabis companies become more profitable, many want to give back to their communities. Unfortunately, federal regulations make doing that extremely difficult, if not impossible. Platinum California is one canna-business that is finding ways to give back to its community by launching their REACT campaign.
Challenges
As Leafly wrote in an article last week, it’s not easy for cannabis companies to donate to charities and non-profits. Since cannabis is still listed as a Schedule I substance, for non-profits to accept donations puts them at extreme risk. Either they would lose federal funding, or they would lose their 501(c)(3) tax-exempt status. This status is almost impossible to obtain and fatal to a non-profit if revoked.
Platinum is hoping this will change within the near future. I spoke with Shane O’Connell, Platinum’s Outreach Director, who is optimistic this will happen in the near future. “We feel that 60-70% of the country agrees with [descheduling cannabis],” he told me. “We understand why they won’t take cannabis money; it’s completely understandable, but it certainly presents a little bit of a hiccup when you’re looking for organizations to partner with.”
The REACT Campaign
Platinum met this challenge head-on when it started its REACT campaign. Based in San Diego, CA and Jackson, MI, Platinum sought out local organizations who would welcome their support. The company released six unique strains, each one dedicated to a cause:
- Veteran Support (Liberty Kush): Proceeds will go to Project Sanctuary and Battle Brothers Foundation – two organizations that provide therapy and assistance to veterans and their families.
- End Hunger (Jelly Donut): Proceeds will go to Feeding San Diego – an organization that serves to relieve hunger and decrease food waste in Southern California.
- Suicide Prevention (Faith OG): Proceeds will be split to Headstrong – an organization that provides post 9/11 military veterans with free mental health care and support as well as The Trevor Project – the premier organization providing crisis intervention and suicide prevention services to LGBTQ teens and young adults.
- Breast Cancer Awareness (Pink Kush): Proceeds will go to benefit Shades of Pink Foundation Cali – a foundation that financially assists women going through breast cancer treatment.
- Children’s Hospital (Strawberry Lemonade): Proceeds will go to benefit Cookies 4 Kids Cancer, an organization committed to raising funds for research to develop new, improved & less toxic treatments for pediatric cancer.
- Animal Rescue (Animal Cookie): Proceeds will go to Wags and Walks Rescue – a no-kill adoption center that aims to save as many dogs possible by carefully connecting dogs to compatible owners.
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According to O’Connell, “The basis of REACT is just finding communities, finding people, finding neighborhoods, people that feel like they need a little bit of help, and we’re going to be there to help them.” What started as an idea to support animal rescues and veterans charities has blossomed into a campaign supporting the six causes mentioned above. “Platinum’s always been a company that’s tried to give back in various ways,” O’Connell added.
This isn’t the first time Platinum has released a strain to support a charity. In May, they released their Brainstorm Haze to support Brain Tumor Awareness Month and followed it with Purple Champagne in June to support Equality California.
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So far, Platinum’s new strains have been well received. “The boxes that we’ve released so far in this latter part of the summer/early fall period have been responsive and fantastic,” O’Connell told me. “It’s an innate thing; people want to try to help out.” People have been asking where to find these strains, so they can get involved and help out in this unique way.
Platinum is also taking this opportunity to shine a light on organizations who are small but doing great things in their communities. As O’Connell put it, “We want to bring attention to these non-profits that are smaller non-profits, maybe, but [they] have made a huge impact nationally, but people just haven’t heard of them.”
What the Future Holds
According to O’Connell, there were some organizations they approached who refused but with a “not yet” rather than a flat-out “no”. Unfortunately, the cannabis stigma is still holding strong, so some organizations were unwilling to put associate their names with a cannabis company. They did, however, ask to be kept in mind for future campaigns. As Dylan said, “The times, they are a-changin’.” Some organizations they would like to partner with include Meals on Wheels and the NBA, among others. “We’re really trying to realize and normalize the product,” O’Connell said, “more than force it on anybody.”
Once cannabis is removed from the federal Schedule I list, Platinum is poised to be in a position that defines philanthropy for the cannabis industry. Their REACT campaign is becoming a template for cannabis companies to be able to give back to their communities. Hopefully, this will encourage more cannabis companies to get involved in their communities as well.
Correction: The strain name for Children’s Hospital was changed to Strawberry Lemonade, and proceeds for Children’s Hospital were updated.
