Flower to the People – A Fundraiser and Community-Building Event
Come celebrate and support worker ownership in Rhode Island’s cannabis industry 🌿
Join Co-op Rhody for a 420-friendly community fundraiser supporting four cooperative retail dispensary applicants who are working together to transform RI’s cannabis industry to be rooted in worker ownership, shared prosperity, and democracy.
Co-op Rhody is building an ecosystem where cannabis workers have power in the workplace and share the profits generated by their work. We’re building something NEW in Rhode Island: a first-in-the-country alternative to cannabis markets dominated by muti-state corporations who squeeze workers for wages and treat cannabis like a commodity that should be churned as quickly as possible into profit. Our dispensaries will engage the community to educate about healthy use, uplift the expertise of workers who actually make the store run, and cooperate with one another instead of competing for the sake of it.
So far, with the support of the community and many visionary founders, we were been able to submit four retail license applications to the State. (This took a lot of work and a lot of money!) We’re now waiting for a lottery sometime this spring or summer to find out whether we actually win licenses.
The money we raise at this event will be subject to democratic budgeting led by our community of worker-owners and the Co-op Rhody Board. Our priorities are to
- Hold cooperative governance trainings for co-op license winners,
- Conduct a feasibility study to understand the potential for cost savings through shared services, and/or
- Hire an organizer to keep Co-op Rhody sustained through the upcoming months.
This is our third community fundraiser – and we’re so grateful to everyone who has our work up to this point possible. It only works with the time, knowledge, support, and vision of many people – entrepreneurs, volunteers, dedicated customers, and community members in solidarity. Come join us!
🎨 Paint a tile that will be displayed in our dispensaries when they open
💨 Consumption-friendly space (thank you Public!)
🎁 Donate extra for a swag bag with special treats
🤝 Meet the people growing the cooperative economy in Rhode Island
🎟 Suggested ticket: $25 (all proceeds support cooperative development and organizing through Co-op Rhody)
Want to support at a higher level or become a sponsor?
📩 Contact emma@cooprhody.org