Green Ink Chronicles Presents: Rooted in Justice

A GIC Series on Returning Citizens and Community Restoration

Photo Credit: Jessica Lewis

Part I: Unlocking The Doors: How Vacant Homes Can Become Pathways for Returning Citizens

For those who were incarcerated, coming home should feel like a new beginning. But for far too many returning citizens, it feels like you’re home, but everything’s still out of reach. Somewhere in between technically being free, but still locked out of stability and opportunity.

In Baltimore, you can walk block after block and see boarded-up houses; entire rows of abandoned homes, yet you’ll still hear over and over again that there’s “no housing available.” If you think that sounds crazy, then you’re right.

The truth is: we have homes. We just haven’t had the resources, or oftentimes the government assistance, to turn them into what our communities actually need, especially after Baltimore’s painful legacy as one of the first cities to implement systemic redlining practices.²

Housing is not only one of the greatest determinants of health, but also whether someone succeeds after incarceration, and wildly enough, it’s also one of the most neglected. Without a stable roof over your head, how can someone focus on healing, finding work, reconnecting with family, or managing the positive mental health that’s required for reentry?

We act surprised when people return to prison, but how did you not see it coming? We set them up to fail by offering conditions that make survival the priority instead of their growth and success.

As a Baltimore native and a registered nurse with a background in public health, I’ve seen both the inside of trauma units and the inside of forgotten neighborhoods, and I have a radical idea. Wait for it…safe housing is Public Health.

Boarded-up homes are a failure of both policy and priorities and an insult to both our humanity and compassion. Leaving homes vacant while people sleep on sidewalks is the clear definition of moral insanity, and returning citizens are one of the populations that are caught in that reality.

This isn’t a far-fetched dream. There are a small number of cities piloting some form of conversion of vacant homes into transitional or permanent housing for returning citizens. As Colin Fraiser of Upling pointed out, some of these programs include the Fortune Society’s “Castle” in NYC ³ and Cleveland’s EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute,⁴ which pair housing with career pathways.

Closer to home, Colin highlights Baltimore’s HUBS program, a model of coordinated care that could easily be adapted to serve returning citizens more intentionally.

I believe we can create models that intertwine care for residents, empowerment for communities, and a real effort at giving second chances. Here in Maryland, we could do the same, and take it even further.

Turning Equity Into Action: A Vision for Housing Justice

To explore how this vision could be implemented, I turned to Colin, someone who’s lived the reality, broken through the barriers, and is building something better for himself and his community.

As founder of Upling, a cannabis delivery and tech platform with purpose at its core, he’s helping bridge equity, innovation, and housing justice.

“Upling was born out of a deeply personal journey,” Colin shared. “Having experienced incarceration and systemic barriers firsthand, I know how hard it is to rebuild. I created Upling not just as a company, but as a platform for access, equity, and opportunity. It’s about turning pain into purpose, and bringing others along with you.”

He emphasizes that without stable housing, reintegration is nearly impossible. Systemic discrimination is embedded in so many facets of today’s world, and housing is no different.

Many landlords automatically exclude individuals with criminal records, no matter the severity of the crime. Add to that rising rent cost, job discrimination, and underfunded reentry programs, and people are trapped in an unwanted cycle that often leads right back to jail.

“Maryland has the chance to lead and establish a Cannabis Reentry Housing Fund,” Colin says, one that covers rental assistance, acquires and rehabs homes, offers legal services, and is governed by those directly impacted.

The key may be forming partnerships with community land trusts, supporting second-chance hiring, and pushing for cannabis revenue to directly support housing justice. The cannabis industry, especially Black-owned businesses, have the power to turn vacant spaces into opportunity hubs, reclaim community wealth, and create lasting change.”

Photo sourced from https://unitedreturningcitizens.org/tips-to-land-housing-as-a-returning-citizen/

Cannabis Revenue, Community Repair, and Real Accountability

The War on Drugs has left deep scars across Black communities. Some you can see, and many you cannot. We’ve watched friends, fathers, sisters, and mothers be locked up for something that is now a billion-dollar industry.

Legalization alone isn’t justice. Reinvestment is. If we start treating cannabis revenue not just as a capitalized money grab for the state, but instead as a tool for repair, Maryland can take this all the way. With the state bringing in over $70 million in adult-use cannabis tax revenue in 2024 alone¹ , we should be funneling a meaningful portion directly into housing initiatives for those most harmed by prohibition.

That could mean:

Creating a Cannabis Reentry Housing Fund
Creating educational programs in local prison systems that prepare upcoming releases on how to take proactive steps to secure housing
Partnering with Black-led developers and grassroots organizations
Prioritizing returning citizens in housing voucher programs tied to cannabis revenue
Streamlining licensing, zoning, and permitting to rehabilitate designated vacant properties faster

We already have the leaders who are doing the work and bridging the gap between cannabis equity and housing justice. That’s where it starts. However, when it comes to problems and solutions, sometimes it feels like states just love creating a task force (with good intentions, of course). But they often miss the mark and fail to fulfill their mission.

We don’t need another task force. We need action. We need policies that repair harm, buildings that serve people, and tracked budgets that fund real solutions and are allocated as intended.

If Maryland is serious about equity, we have to prove it by what we build, literally. It’s time to turn boarded-up buildings into sanctuaries where second chances aren’t just possible, but they’re promised.

“Equity isn’t a promise, it’s what we build.”

Footnotes

¹ Southern Maryland Chronicle, “Maryland Reaps $72.9M from 2024 Cannabis Sales,” March 2025.
² Mapping Inequality Project, University of Richmond.
³ Fortune Society, Housing Services.
⁴ EDWINS Leadership & Restaurant Institute, Program Overview.

Written by: Jessica Lewis, MS, BSN, RN.

Jessica Lewis, MS, BSN, RN, is a United States Marine Corps veteran and a Registered Nurse with seven years of experience in emergency room and surgical care. She brings a rich and diverse educational and professional background to the cannabis industry, holding two Bachelor’s degrees—one in Public & Community Health, one in Nursing, and a Master’s in Medical Cannabis Science and Therapeutics from the University of Maryland, School of Pharmacy.

Jessica’s unique blend of expertise in both traditional and alternative healthcare, focuses on empowering individuals through education on the therapeutic benefits of cannabis, with a special emphasis on veterans, women of color, and the elderly.

She currently serves as the Board Secretary for the Minority Cannabis Business Association (MCBA), advocating for equitable access to resources and opportunities for minority business owners in the industry. Jessica’s dedication to breaking stigmas around cannabis fuels her commitment to helping others find relief. A devoted mother of two, Jessica uses her personal experiences to inspire and uplift others, making her a compassionate voice in the cannabis wellness space.