In Clearwater, Florida, a new retail dispensary has opened its doors, marking a significant milestone for GūD Essence, a Black woman-owned medicinal cannabis brand. Jasmine Johnson, the founder, expressed her pride in bringing her business to the state, saying it's a "homecoming" for the born-and-raised Floridian. According to Black Enterprise, Johnson's achievement is noteworthy, given the challenges faced by Black entrepreneurs in the cannabis industry.
The dispensary's opening is a rare occurrence, as Black people own less than 2% of all national dispensaries, as reported by a recent analysis. In Florida, specifically, there are fewer than five Black-owned dispensaries, as noted by Shop Cuzzies. High entry costs and limited access to capital have contributed to this lack of diversity.
Johnson's journey to this point has been long and arduous. She initially applied for a license in 2017, but was not awarded one, despite spending $148,000 on the application fee and dedicating time to a 750-page application. The state of Florida did not reopen its application process for seven years, forcing Johnson to explore alternative routes.
She eventually entered into a purchase agreement to acquire one of 22 licenses that had been awarded a notice of ← →
The Black woman-owned medicinal cannabis brand, GŪD Essence, has opened its first retail dispensary in Clearwater, Florida.Other references and insights: See here
No comments:
Post a Comment