Daily News | New Jersey has few Black-owned marijuana dispensaries. A banker-turned-budtender is about to open one.
It started as a part-time gig, but soon, he went full-time doling out weed at a Maryland medical marijuana dispensary. The move was a financial sacrifice for Johnson, who has three daughters, ages 9, 5, and 1. It also caused friction in his relationship with his former long-term partner.
“I saw a real need for, and lack of, diversity in the industry,” Johnson said. “Here I was, traveling the country, and everywhere I go, I’m like the only Black person there.”became the first Black person to own a legal U.S. cannabis dispensaryThe idea with Simply Pure Trenton, Johnson said, is to provide an upscale experience while targeting traditional marijuana consumers — something he says is missing from New Jersey’s legal market. He even has a robot, Pepper, to help customers.
In part, the lack of operating marijuana businesses owned by underrepresented groups comes down to funding, Nickelson said. Because marijuana is federally illegal, business owners often can’t get loans and must find investors to provide start-up money. That can lead to predatory situations in which investors lend money under terms that cause the operators to lose control of the business.
Compounding the issue is the lack of available real estate, said Todd Johnson, executive director of the New Jersey Cannabis Trade Association.. That leaves nearly 2,000 applicants hoping to set up shop in about 170 towns.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
New York, New Jersey schools keep kids indoors as air quality plummets reportedly from Canada wildfiresPublic schools in NYC, Long Island and New Jersey are limiting outdoor activities Wednesday, as air quality worsens due to Canadian wildfires.
Read more »
Halle Berry and Mark Wahlberg movie ‘The Union’ back in N.J. for reshootsThe spy thriller filmed in Jersey last summer under a different 'Jersey' name.
Read more »
Some New Jersey schools switch to remote learning amid air quality concernsNew Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is expected to give an update on the air quality concerns this morning, as some schools switch to remote learning. NatDuddridgeTV has the latest from Montclair.
Read more »
New Jersey moms write book about the journey parents face with children with special needsStories of hope are being shared from one New Jersey mom to another in a new book about the journey of becoming a parent to a child with special needs. LisaRoznerTV reports.
Read more »
Murphy: New Jersey air quality levels remain 'very unhealthy,' expected to intensify again tonightNew Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy is urging people to stay inside as much as possible due to the poor air quality. CSloanTV reports.
Read more »
New Jersey stores selling out of air purifiers as wildfire smoke continues to affect air qualityNew Jersey residents have been flooding stores to buy air purifiers because, as we saw Wednesday, the smell of smoke was seeping into some homes, but they were finding Thursday that many places are out of them. CSloanTV reports.
Read more »