As legalization matures, some of the most credible social-equity fundraisers are being imagined—and executed—by minority-owned cannabis brands. These companies pair product sales with direct-action giving: expungement clinics, scholarship funds, and high-visibility galas that put money and services into impacted communities. Their efforts often channel support to trusted nonprofits like the Last Prisoner Project (LPP), which reports more than 400 years of prison time saved and over 250,000 cannabis offenses cleared to date.
40 Tons — Few outfits embody “fundraising with services” like 40 Tons, a Black-owned brand built around restorative justice. Its Level Up Career Conferences travel from market to market with resume workshops, employer networking, and on-site expungement clinics—resources funded by sponsorships, ticketing, and brand partnerships. The 40 Tons Foundation also spearheaded the “Equity Row” fundraising campaign around MJBizCon, rallying donations for reentry programs and policy work.
Website: conferences.40tons.co
Viola — Founded by former NBA player Al Harrington, Viola runs Viola Cares, a social-equity and reentry initiative launched with nonprofit legal partner Root & Rebound to produce the “A New Leaf” toolkit for people with cannabis convictions. Fundraising campaigns around this work have supported legal aid, employment resources, and education—an approach that makes dollars actionable for justice-impacted families.
Website: violabrands.com
Ball Family Farms — One of Los Angeles’ first Black-owned, vertically integrated social-equity companies, Ball Family Farms combines culture-driven product drops with community initiatives. In 2025 the company introduced Rare Breeds, a development program that scouts and mentors under-represented strain creators—an equity-building platform often paired with collaborative events that raise awareness and sponsorship funding for legacy-to-legal transitions.
Website: ballfamilyfarms.com
SF Roots — San Francisco’s first equity brand has long treated fundraising as a community exercise, partnering with grassroots groups and education-forward events while keeping a steady drumbeat on why equity exists in the first place. SF Roots’ communications have helped channel consumers toward donation drives and local initiatives that keep small, BIPOC operators in the game.
Website: sfroots.com
Simply Pure — Co-founded by industry trailblazer Wanda James, Simply Pure in Denver has a well-documented record of advocacy and equity leadership that often intersects with fundraising moments—benefit activations, policy-education events, and nonprofit partnerships amplified through the store’s platform. That visibility helps drive donations and volunteer sign-ups across Colorado’s reform ecosystem.
Website: simplypure.com
Oakland Extracts — As one of California’s longest-operating POC-owned concentrate companies, Oakland Extracts has used its brand voice to highlight local equity partners and small-business resilience in Oakland’s legacy scene. By linking product storytelling to calls for community support, the company turns brand campaigns into micro-fundraisers that benefit neighborhood initiatives and equity entrepreneurs.
Website: oaklandextracts.com
These brand-led efforts often culminate at headline events that convert awareness into receipts. Consider LPP’s 2025 Journey to Justice Gala, a sold-out fundraiser elevating the stories of people impacted by criminalization while securing pledges for clemency, record-clearance, and reentry services—a format many brands sponsor or activate around with matched-giving campaigns.
The through-line is measurability. Conferences that include expungement clinics report same-day relief for attendees; galas publish totals raised; and partners like LPP share justice metrics publicly. For consumers, it’s a roadmap: buy from brands that publish impact, support events that deliver services, and follow nonprofits that transparently report outcomes. For the industry, it’s proof that minority-owned brands aren’t just asking for equity—they’re funding it in ways that move records, hire neighbors, and change lives.