The Hawthorne Social Justice Fund in February announced a multi-year sponsorship of the John R. Lewis Social Justice Fellows program, providing $600,000 over two years for research related to cannabis policy and social justice reforms.
The John R. Lewis Social Justice Fellows is a program within the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation that provides young Black professionals the opportunity to work with members of Congress to address social justice and racial equity issues that affect the Black community. The sponsorship is the largest grant awarded by the Hawthorne Gardening Company since it created the Social Justice Fund in 2021, and it marks the first time the John R. Lewis Social Justice Fellows program has dedicated fellows to researching cannabis issues.
The Hawthorne Social Justice Fund was founded to help drive social justice reform and create a more equitable cannabis industry in North America. The fund was established with $2.5 million, of which more than half has been donated to U.S. nonprofits aligned with its mission.
“There is no doubt that cannabis laws have led to systemic racial and social inequities, and we are grateful to be able to join with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation in finding ways to address this critical issue,” said Chris Hagedorn, president of Hawthorne Gardening Company and executive vice president of its parent company, Scotts Miracle-Gro. “We’re also proud to be affiliated with a program named for John Lewis, whose lifelong commitment to social justice continues to inspire millions of Americans. It is our hope the four John Lewis fellows will inform the debate related to cannabis reform and work directly with policy makers in establishing a framework for impactful and positive change in Black communities.”
The $600,000 grant will support four individuals researching cannabis policy and social justice reforms.
The deadline to apply is May, 6 2022. For more application details visit: https://cbcfinc.academicworks.com/opportunities/949.
— Patrick Wagner