Flower Power Spotlight: DACO – Empowering Communities Through Cannabis & Education
Welcome back to Flower Power, LeafLink’s spotlight series dedicated to celebrating the movers, shakers, and advocates shaping the future of cannabis. This week, we’re honored to feature Cherron Perry Thomas, Director of Social Impact at the Diasporic Alliance for Cannabis Opportunities (DACO)—a trailblazing organization focused on advancing equity, education, and opportunity in the cannabis space.
Building Equity from the Ground Up
Founded in 2016, DACO emerged during a pivotal moment: the launch of Pennsylvania’s medical marijuana program. While legalization opened the door to new medical solutions, many communities—especially those historically marginalized—remained unaware of the program’s existence or the potential benefits of cannabis.
“I remember meeting a mom whose child suffered from seizures,” Cherron shared. “She didn’t want anything from the street, she wanted something that could actually help. But she had no idea about the medical program.” That story, and countless others like it, drove the founding mission behind DACO: to educate and empower people through access to cannabis knowledge and opportunities.
From Advocacy to Action
What started as a grassroots effort has since grown into a powerful force for community education and social change. Operating with a small but mighty core team, DACO has led initiatives ranging from policy days at the Capitol to expungement clinics and the Cannabis Opportunities Conference, hosted during Black Cannabis Week at Temple University.
Despite operating on a limited budget, the impact has been anything but small. “We’ve done this work with large hearts,” Cherron said proudly. “And we’ve built something that continues to serve our communities in meaningful ways.”
Trauma-Informed and Cannabis-Adjacent
One of DACO’s most recent and exciting initiatives is MAI (My Trauma-Informed Environment), a program designed to help people manage trauma and stress—common qualifying conditions for medical cannabis in Pennsylvania—through holistic tools.
“Cannabis is just one of many options people can turn to,” Cherron noted. “We want to make sure communities know there’s a full toolkit out there for healing—from plant medicine to community support systems.”
This trauma-informed lens ensures DACO’s work goes beyond cannabis and into broader wellness and healing—a reflection of their inclusive, whole-person approach.
How to Support DACO
For those looking to get involved, DACO’s website and Cannabis Opportunities Conference are great places to start. This year’s conference will be held in person at Temple University from September 26–27, and it’s free to attend.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to network, learn, and uplift the cannabis community,” Cherron said. “And everyone’s welcome.”
Continuing the Conversation
As LeafLink continues to spotlight industry pioneers through Flower Power, we’re proud to stand alongside organizations like DACO that are doing the work—educating, advocating, and building a more inclusive cannabis space.
Want to support DACO? Visit wearedaco.com and follow them on Instagram @wearedaco.
Are you an organization doing good for your local community or the cannabis industry and want to be spotlighted? Email us! marketing@leaflink.com
📺 Watch the Full Conversation
Watch the full interview here!