M4MM Presents The Power 100
- Dr. Roz McCarthy
- Feb 4
- 3 min read
The Power 100: Why Documenting Black Leadership in Cannabis Matters Now
For years, I’ve watched the cannabis industry evolve in real time. As legalization expands, markets mature, and capital flows more freely, it’s easy to forget that this industry didn’t simply appear. It was built often quietly and at great personal risk by people who believed in access, justice, and healing long before cannabis was safe, popular, or profitable.
That is why Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) created the Power 100.
The Power 100 is not an awards show. It’s not a popularity contest. And it’s not about who raised the most money or made the loudest headlines.
It is a historical record. As M4MM marks 10 years of advocacy, this list recognizes 100 Black leaders whose work materially shaped cannabis reform through patient advocacy, policy development, education, entrepreneurship, research, and community organizing. Many of them did this work when legalization was uncertain and when the consequences for getting it wrong were severe.
Before cannabis became an industry, it was a movement.And before it was a movement, it was a criminalized reality for Black communities.
Why the Power 100 Exists
For decades, Black people bore the brunt of cannabis prohibition—through disproportionate arrests, incarceration, stigma, and economic exclusion. Even as legalization has spread, the contributions of those who fought hardest for reform have often been overlooked or erased.
The Power 100 exists to change that.
This list centers impact over optics. It honors leaders who:
Expanded patient access to medical cannabis
Helped shape local, state, and national policy
Built education platforms when misinformation was rampant
Created pathways for equity where none existed
Shifted culture and public perception through persistence, not profit
There is no ranking. No hierarchy. No “top spot.”Because this work is not about status or ranking.
A Decade of Context
The release of the Power 100 is deeply personal for me because it mirrors the journey of M4MM itself.
Over the past ten years, our work has included:
Supporting 500+ equity business operators
Engaging across 27 state medical cannabis programs
Reaching 500,000+ people annually through digital education
Providing 2,000+ individuals free access to medical cannabis advocacy and services
Distributing 100,000+ educational materials
Facilitating 1,500+ hours of business education and networking
Contributing 5,000+ hours to policy planning and preparation
These numbers don’t tell the full story but they do reflect the quiet, consistent focused building that advocacy requires.
Why This Moment Matters
We’re at a crossroads. Equity language is being softened. Medical access is being challenged in adult-use markets. And the people who built the road are too often asked to watch from the sidelines.
The Power 100 is a reminder that this industry has a lineage and that credibility, sustainability, and justice depend on acknowledging it.
This list is being released in partnership with Cash Color Cannabis, with expanded editorial coverage and digital storytelling throughout the year. It will live as a permanent archive—because history deserves more than a moment.
If Legalization Is the Headline, This Is the Footnote We Must Include
The Power 100 is....
About documentation.
About gratitude.
About telling the truth while there’s still time to get it right.
We walked so the next generation could run.
2026 Power 100 Honorees
Fab 5 Freddy
Al Harrington
Ricky Williams
Eugene Monroe
Brandon Wyatt ESQ
Belecia Royster
Cherron Perry Thomas
Chef Stacey Dugan
Michael "Coach" Harris
Hope Wiseman
Dr Octavia Wiseman DMD
Nadir Pearson
Tauhid Chappell
Cat Packer
Dasheeda Dawson
Leo Bridgewater
Gillie Da Kid
Gibran Washington
Gia Moron
Chelsea Higgs Wise
Martin Mitchell
Wanda James
Dr Roz McCarthy
Hazey Taughtme
Naomi Granger
Edie Moore
Jasmine Jackson
Whitney Beatty
Amber Senter
Virgil Grant
Antione Mordican
Scheril Murray Powell ESQ
Dr Terel Newton MD
Dr Rashan Hodges MD
Ruben Lindo
Christina Johnson
Jesce Horton
Linda Green
Alphonso Tucky Blunt
Corvain Cooper
Method Man
Snoop Dog
Ernest Toney
Tahir Johnson
Suzanne Nichols
Kristal Bush
Mike Tyson
Cassandra Frederique
Dr Chanda Macias
Arianna Kirkpatrick
Mehka King
Cimone Casson
Thunder Walker
Shanita Penny
Rodney "Hurricane" Carter
Toi Hutchinson
TaShonda Vincent Lee
Kevin Ford
Amber Littlejohn
Courtney Davis
Khadijah Tribble
Caroline Phillips
The Dank Duchess
Todd Hughes
Jason Marshall
Nicole Buffong
Shanetha Lewis
Erik Range
Eric Foster
Sirita Wright
Shanel Lindsey
Danielle Drummond
Jay Jackson
Nichelle Santos
Dr Lisa Pickney
Dr Bridgett Cole Williams MD
Dr Kelly King MD
Fredericka Easley
Mary Pryor
Aiesha Goins
Kristi Price
Sheena Roberson
Chris Jackson
Wiz Kalifa
Dr. Jean Talleyrand
Drs. Janice, Rachel & Jessica Knox MD
Rico Lamitte
Guy Rocourt
Lizzy Jeff
Chef Zarilla Bacon
Redman
Kebra Smith Bolden
Otha Smith
Sephida Artis- Mills
JR Fleming
Dr Herve Damas MD
Derrell Black
Devin Alexander
Brendan Robinson
Jay Mills
Author
— Dr. Roz McCarthy, Founder/CEO M4MM & Black Buddha Cannabis