We are so stoked to announce that Pot Mates has received a grant from NuProject to enlist the services of an SEO marketing firm. This allows us to expand our reach and ensure every pot-smoking Portlander knows we’re open for business.

NuLeaf Project is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to begin reversing some of the damage wrought upon communities of color by anti-drug policies in the United States. It was founded by executive director Jeannette Ward Horton and her husband Jesce Horton. They were both also instrumental in the creation of the Minority Cannabis Business Association , a non-profit business league dedicated to increasing the diversity of cannabis business owners, employees, and consumers. These two also contributed to the development of Measure 26-180, Portland’s recreational marijuana tax law, allowing for cannabis tax money to be allocated to fund workforce and business development for minority- and women-owned enterprises.

NuLeaf works to address three common hurdles all marginalized groups face when starting a business: capital, education and exposure to the business, and connections to other like-minded professionals. They provide four distinct services to achieve these goals: NuFuel, NuSchool, NuProfessional, and NuNetwork.

NuFuel provides funding for cannabis businesses, giving priority to those who are at least 51% owned by people from communities disproportionately harmed by the war on drugs. The grant cycle opens once per year, and NuFuel also offers 0% interest loans, including up to $25,000 for Oregon-based businesses.

NuLeaf has a personalized business accelerator called NuSchool , offering targeted and personalized mentorship for owners whose business is growing rapidly, while NuNetwork is a collection of leaders in the cannabis industry committed to helping people of color achieve equity.

Finally, NuProfessional is a job board for professionals of color who are interested in the cannabis industry. Careers in cannabis are stable and great for building wealth, and NuLeaf believes Black and brown people should be included in that opportunity.

Pot Mates applied for a NuFuel grant and was awarded enough to partner with Digital With Joey, an SEO and SEM content strategist. Together, we’re looking to increase Pot Mates’s visibility throughout the internet and grow more connected with our customers. We’re excited about this partnership and can’t wait to see what new doors it opens up.

We also want to make sure everyone who wants to work in cannabis knows what a valuable resource NuLeaf really is. If you’re just getting started working in weed, there’s NuProfessional to find your next opportunity. If you’ve got your own business, there’s NuFuel and the NuSchool to take you to the next level. If you’ve been in the industry for a while, you can give back some of that hard-won wisdom as part of the NuNetwork. And if you’re involved with a minority-owned cannabis business, make sure to check out the MCBA , where you can advocate for sensible, equitable policies and increase the growth of the cannabis industry.