CHICAGO (WLS) — One of the goals of legalizing marijuana in Illinois was to repair the damage of mass cannabis convictions among people of color. And while some critics say not enough has been done to level the playing field, the state said it’s proud of the steps it’s made over the last four years to make the industry attainable for everyone.
“When cannabis was illegal, 80% of arrests were Black and brown people,” said Matthew Brewer, owner of Grasshopper Club. “My brother was one of the people in the 80% arrested for cannabis possession.”
His brother’s arrest was one of the reasons Brewer wanted to get into the marijuana industry. He is now celebrating his first year as the proud owner of Grasshopper Club, the first independent Black-owned dispensary in Chicago.
“It was a full circle moment when we opened this location and the first purchase ever here was my brother,” he said.
Brewer’s co-owners for the Logan Square shop are his brother Chuck and his mother Dianne. She never could have imagined this venture in her wildest dreams as a Black woman.
When recreational marijuana became legal in Illinois in 2020, the first cannabis businesses to open were 100% majority white-owned, and
Brooklyn Welcomes First Black Woman-Owned Cannabis Dispensary Amid Legalization Challenges – BNN Breaking
In a significant stride towards addressing the historical wrongs of drug policies and promoting legal cannabis sales, Brooklyn celebrated the opening of Matawana, its first Black woman-owned cannabis dispensary. This landmark event, highlighted by the presence of Mayor Eric Adams, underscores the city’s efforts to combat the proliferation of illegal marijuana storefronts, which considerably outnumber their legal counterparts.
AdvertismentBreaking New Grounds in Cannabis Industry
Matawana, named after its founding family, represents not just a personal achievement for CEO Leeann Mata but also a beacon of progress in the fight for equity within the cannabis industry. The grand opening, marked by a symbolic first sale at 4:20 PM, was the culmination of a challenging journey navigated with the support of Housing Works’ Cannabis Adult Use Retail Dispensary (CAURD) Community Initiative. This program aims to guide underrepresented entrepreneurs through the labyrinth of legal, financial, and operational hurdles to opening a legal dispensary in New York City.
Challenges on the Path to LegalizationAdvertisment
The journey to opening a legal cannabis dispensary in New York is fraught with obstacles, from stringent state regulations to the capital and knowledge required to navigate the industry. The disparity between the number of legal and illegal dispensaries in the city is stark,
First Black woman-owned cannabis dispensary tries to counter illegal shops – PIX11 New York News
PARK SLOPE, Brooklyn (PIX11) — On Thursday, multiple milestones passed in efforts to have legal cannabis sales right the wrongs of past drug offenses.
Brooklyn not only got its first Black woman-owned cannabis dispensary, but it also saw the launch of a new program that is intended to help underrepresented people navigate the many challenges to legal dispensary ownership. Both the new business and the new program are trying to help reduce the number of illegal marijuana shops, which now outnumber legal dispensaries at a ratio of one legal one for every 50 illegal ones.
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The new store, Matawana, is named after the family that founded it. Leeann Mata is the CEO, and her first-ever sale took place at 4:20 on Thursday afternoon for her sister, Maya. She paid in cash, with a $2 bill on top for good luck, Maya said.
There was a line outside the front door of the dispensary, at 14th Street and 5th Avenue. Teller windows line the wall behind the digital cash registers.
“It used to be a Chase,” founder Leeann Mata
Mayor visits dispensary in push to close illegal shops – Spectrum News NY1
It can be tough to open a new legal cannabis dispensary, with all of the paperwork and illegal competition. But Leeann Mata — owner of Matawana Dispensary — persevered.
“What kept me going is that my mother had suffered from opioid addiction and when she found cannabis, that helped with her pain management and it actually prolonged her life,” she said.
What You Need To Know Mayor Adams attended the opening of a new legal cannabis dispensary in Brooklyn
The city has used a public nuisance law to close illegal shops, with the NYPD handling the investigations
Under Adams’ tenure, 160 unlicensed cannabis sellers have been shuttered and the city has collected $18 million in fines
Her dispensary opened in Park Slope, Brooklyn, Wednesday and Mayor Adams was there for the ceremonial ribbon cutting.
The mayor took the opportunity to publicly call on Albany officials to grant the city more power to close illegal shops faster.
“Illegal operators threaten the success of legal shops,” Adams said.
The city already has some power under the public nuisance law. It allows the city to go to court for the authority to close unlicensed businesses, like those