Ayr Wellness Targets Restorative Justice Initiatives in Recent Campaign

Vertically integrated multistate operator Ayr Wellness announced its intention to donate $100,000 to restorative justice initiatives as part of its second annual “12 Days of Giving” holiday donation campaign.

Ayr is donating $1.12 of every transaction made at its retail locations between Dec. 5 and Dec. 16 to Freedom Grow, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting prisoners with cannabis-related charges and their families through its “The Wish Program;” and to the Minorities for Medical Marijuana Project Clean Slate initiative, a program that provides record expungement to adults with select cannabis-related charges, according to a press release.

The company’s goal is to hit $100,000 in donations, according to the release.

“This marks Ayr’s second year of the program, which is poised to directly benefit the families of those who have been incarcerated for cannabis offenses,” said David Goubert, Ayr president. “We hope that this initiative will inspire an ecosystem of giving for our customers and employees, ultimately benefitting those negatively impacted by the War on Drugs, a core focus of our Changing Legacies pillar.”

Khari Edwards, head of corporate social responsibility at Ayr, said the company’s partnership with Freedom Grow allows them to “brighten up the holiday season for those who are often overlooked in discussions about the harmful effects of prohibition–the families and children of offenders, many of whom have to scramble to make ends meet while their loved one is away.

“Combining this with our support of Minorities for Medical Marijuana’s Project Clean Slate, which provides expungement and wrap-around services across the country, allows us to take a more holistic approach to advocacy this holiday season.”