4 groundbreaking cannabis pioneers celebrating black history this month

One of the undeniable realities of the War on Drugs is that it has had a disproportionate impact on black cannabis enthusiasts. Despite this, there are numerous black pioneers in the cannabis world who have made an immeasurable impact.

This is the reality, although there are a variety of obstacles that have kept black entrepreneurs from entering the legal marijuana industry. Indeed, some of the impact these pioneers have had on the industry may come as a surprise. There’s no better time of year than Black History Month to honor these pioneers.

The Canna MDs

In 2014, Doctors Rachel and Jessica Knox who are known as the Canna MDs, founded the American Cannabinoid Clinics in 2014. The purpose of the clinics is to “provide precision cannabinoid medicine to every patient seeking a personalized approach to healing”.

They had the idea to start the clinic when their mother, Dr. Janice Knox, learned about the diversity of medical marijuana patients and the benefits of it while her daughters were in college. Now there are several clinics throughout the state of Oregon. Her impact in spreading the word about the therapeutic properties of cannabis was enormous.

Hope Wiseman

Becoming the owner of a pharmacy is already associated with enough obstacles for black entrepreneurs. That’s why it’s so impressive that a black woman could do this at the young age of 25, making her the youngest black pharmacy owner in the nation. Wiseman graduated from Spelman College, an HBCU, and has a background in investment banking.

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Wise man is working Mary and Main Dispensary in Prince George’s County, Maryland, with a focus on the pillars of social activism, education and philanthropy. Mary and Main offers a wide range of therapeutic treatments and products to help clients alleviate their discomfort including topicals, dry herbs and extracts.

Wanda Smith

Wanda Smith founded Simply Pure Dispensary with her husband Scott Durrah in Denver, Colorado in 2010. When they opened the pharmacy, they became the first black pharmacy owners in the country. Since both Wanda and Scott are both veterans, they take pride in serving their fellow soldiers.

Given that they opened Simply Pure at the dawn of cannabis legalization in Colorado, they have been able to adapt accordingly to offer one of the best dispensary experiences in Denver.

Brittany Moore & Alphonso T. Blunt Jr.

There aren’t many stock-oriented dispensaries out there, and one Oakland couple saw the need for one. That’s why Brittany Moore and Alphonso T. Blunt Jr. opened the first stock pharmacy in Oakland, Blunts+Moore. They are among the earliest beneficiaries of an equity program launched in 2017 designed to license Oakland residents with a local cannabis conviction or residents of areas that have had a disproportionate number of cannabis-related arrests.

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Blunts+Moore operates a 4,000 square foot dispensary offering hundreds of products including edibles, concentrates and herbs. As they demonstrate their ability to thrive as beneficiaries of Oakland’s new stock program, there is hope that they will provide a blueprint for other black entrepreneurs to follow in the future.