Mayor Eric Adams names Dasheeda Dawson as founding director of Cannabis NYC

This story was written by Nicolás Jose Rodriguez and originally published on Benzinga.

NYC Mayor Eric Adams and New York City Department of Small Business Services (SBS) Commissioner Kevin D. Kim announced the appointment of Dasheeda Dawson as founding director of their new Cannabis NYC initiative to demonstrate the agency’s support for the to lead the cannabis industry.

Dawson will lead SBS’s strategy to support the burgeoning cannabis industry in New York through “widespread public education, direct services to cannabis entrepreneurs and professionals, legislative advocacy, and policy development at all levels of government,” the press release said.

“Seeds for Justice”

Mayor Eric Adams noted that his government is working to build equitable industry in the city.

“Our administration is committed to planting the seeds of justice in a high-growth, emerging industry like cannabis sales,” Adams said. “The fairest cannabis industry in the nation will be based in New York City, and to bring that goal home we have selected a proven leader with unmatched experience… Dasheeda Dawson will serve the needs of entrepreneurs in this space,” he added.

SBS Commissioner Kevin D. Kim added that Dawson’s “work experience as an educator, regulator, entrepreneur and advocate prepares her for this moment,” he said.

Related

The governor of New York confirms that 20 weed shops will open this year

Community stakeholders

Dawson will serve as the primary liaison between SBS, other city agencies, the New York State Office of Cannabis Management (NYSOCM) and community stakeholders including elected officials, community leaders and industry associations. She will also work to establish and collaborate with the New York City Cannabis Advisory Council, an advisory body of industry and community stakeholders.

“Leading Cannabis NYC is an incredible coming full circle moment. Growing up in East New York, I survived the peak of cannabis prohibition and witnessed enforcement taking down the lives of my friends and family,” said Dasheeda Dawson, founding director of Cannabis NYC.

“As a cannabis patient, educator and regulator, I can now support other consumers, small businesses and local advocacy groups (…). I am delighted to be back home and helping to develop an equity-focused approach to the city’s cannabis industry framework (…)”

“Dasheeda understands what it means to run an urban cannabis program focused on community equity and reinvestment,” said Chris Alexander, Executive Director, NYSOCM.

“Her historic work in Portland, investing in entrepreneurs and relentlessly campaigning in her home state of New York, defines her as a national leader in the cannabis space. (…) I am confident that she will continue to be a strong ally as we work together to make the New York cannabis market the most accessible and diverse in the nation.”

Related

“Light it up,” says NYC Mayor Adams, defying the state’s desire to crack down on illegal weed

New York State Assembly Majority Leader Crystal Peoples-Stokes noted that Dawso was an “instrumental part of the coalition” that supported passage of the MRTA [New York’s Marijuana Regulation and Taxation Act]. “She is one of the most knowledgeable and accomplished professionals in this field,” said People-Stokes.

Kassandra Frederique, executive director of the Drug Policy Alliance, emphasized that Dawson is a co-founder of the Cannabis Regulators of Color Coalition, a national organization of industry politicians and regulators. “Dasheeda Dawson is an inspired choice because as a leading member of New York’s statewide coalition to regulate cannabis, she understands the intent and the New York landscape,” said Frederique.

Cannabis Program Manager Expert

In addition to her New York experience, Dawson, who received her MBA from Rutgers Business School and completed her bachelor’s degree in molecular biology from Princeton University, worked as a cannabis program manager in Portland, Oregon. In this role, she oversaw all regulatory licensing, compliance, education and justice initiatives for the city’s cannabis industry.

Supported by the ongoing allocation of cannabis tax revenues, her office managed the Social Justice and Educational Development (SEED) initiatives, which include the national-model SEED Grant Fund, the country’s first community reinvestment fund tied to local cannabis tax revenues.

Under her leadership, Portland approved a multimillion-dollar cannabis emergency relief fund, becoming the first governmental jurisdiction in the country to allocate tax revenues from cannabis to provide relief and emergency relief to the industry.

To the petrol

Benzinga’s mission is to connect the world with news, data and education that make the path to financial prosperity easier for everyone every day.

View items by Benzinga

By submitting this form, you are subscribing to Leafly news and promotional emails and agreeing to Leafly’s Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. You can unsubscribe from Leafly email communications at any time.