Seattle will welcome what’s being falsely billed as the first Black-owned cannabis dispensary to the city on October 30th. Shawn Kemp’s dispensary is not solely Black-owned. Furthermore, it is not the first partially Black-owned dispensary in Seattle. While calling it the first Black-owned cannabis retailer in Seattle is misleading, the launch is still momentous. However, the retail store, Kemp’s Cannabis, is not a step towards equity in legal cannabis in Washington or nationwide as you may be led to believe.
While being a disproportionate target for the prosecution of cannabis-related charges, Black people have yet to receive adequate representation in legal cannabis. Since recreational cannabis became legal nearly six years ago, only a handful of partially Black-owned retailers exist. No Washington State cannabis retailer or farm ownership is solely from Black individuals.
However, Kemp’s Cannabis is the first marijuana dispensary outwardly represented by a Black person in Seattle. Former NBA player and six-time All-Star, Shawn Kemp, serves as the face of the brand. Kemp has joined forces with legal cannabis leaders from Washington State, Matt Schoenlein, and Ramsey Hamide, two co-founders of Main Street Marijuana.
The retail license traces back to John Davis, a previous collaborator of the now-defunct Diego Pellicer Washington brand. Davis also previously headed up Northwest Patient Resource Center.
Grand Opening Ceremony
Kemp’s Cannabis is pulling out all the stops for their grand opening ceremony. Taking place on October 30th at 12:45 PM, the ribbon cutting will feature Shawn Kemp and his former teammate Gary Payton. The general public will receive access at 1 p.m.
The store is located less than half a mile away from the iconic Space Needle in Seattle Center at 3035 1st Ave, Seattle, WA 98121. The location is convenient and easy to find for both visitors and residents alike.
Kemp says “I’m looking forward to welcoming Sonics fans on a regular basis, starting with opening day.” Shawn calls Seattle home and has invested in several other city businesses ventures according to the press release.
Source: Dave Mahler
About Kemp’s Cannabis
While not Seattle’s first solely Black-owned cannabis retailer, Kemp’s Cannabis is still impressive, measuring in at 4,000 square feet. The location features a mural with Kemp’s image, adding to the uptick of street art appearing in Seattle. Don’t expect to see Kemp’s Cannabis branded products at launch, however. The Washington state cannabis market is not vertically integrated like Colorado and Florida. According to sources, Kemp’s Cannabis will offer popular Washington farms including Smokey Point Productions, Harmony Farms, and Northwest Cannabis Solutions amongst others.
Equity in Legal Cannabis
An article from MarijuanaDoctors.com includes a laundry list of issues that prevent Black Americans from gaining equity in the legal cannabis boom. Kemp’s Cannabis is one of over 400 legal recreational cannabis retailers in Washington. With a 79% White population, an overwhelming majority of the license holders and owners are White. This is not unique to Washington, however. Nationwide, the number of Black-owned or operated cannabis retailers is dishearteningly low.
A press release offers another perspective, stating the fact that with 50 shops in Seattle, none are solely black-owned. The release also goes on to confirm that Kemp’s Cannabis is simply Shawn Kemp licensing his name. The press release also shares a lawsuit against Washington State Governor Jay Inslee and Liqour and Cannabis Board.
With Jay-Z’s legal brand in California coming soon in addition to Al Harrington’s Viola brand increasing their nationwide presence, hopefully, more Black Americans will receive their due opportunity in an industry that was built on the backs of them being killed, incarcerated, and vilified.
