Shanita Penny is a senior vice president of public affairs at Forbes Tate Partners (FTP) and serves as a senior advisor to the Coalition for Cannabis Policy, Education and Regulation. Before joining FTP, she launched Budding Solutions, a boutique cannabis business strategy and public policy consultancy, and she continues to positively impact the burgeoning cannabis industry and the greater community.
Shanita served as vice president and president of the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA) from February 2017 – October 2019. Under her leadership, the MCBA hosted its inaugural Congressional Black Caucus Lobby Day, held multiple policy summits, and produced a model municipal ordinance that has influenced social equity policy throughout the country. Shanita provided testimony on equitable cannabis legalization in multiple cities and states and testified before the U.S. House of Representatives’ Small Business Committee for a hearing to examine the role of small businesses in the cannabis industry.
Shanita served as a member of the Michigan Marijuana Regulatory Authority’s Racial Equity Advisory Workgroup, charged with developing policy ideas and recommendations to address the disparities in ownership and participation in the marijuana industry by people of color. They strive to establish the State of Michigan as a leader on diversity, equity and inclusion in the regulated cannabis industry.
Her primary goal is to end the stigma associated with cannabis through her advocacy, businesses and responsible consumption. Shanita holds an M.S. in Business Administration from the University of Baltimore & Towson University and a B.S. in Transportation and Logistics Management from the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
