Ron Strider
Well-Known Member
Janis Holloway talks a lot about marijuana these days. And pretty soon Holloway, who holds a degree in biology and runs her own marketing company, hopes to be selling more of it than anyone else in the city.
"This opportunity with marijuana coming to the state of Pennsylvania at this point, you have to look at it like Prohibition back in the day — and it's a great opportunity that we want to be involved in," she said.
Holloway's Prohibition reference obviously refers to the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment to again legalize the sale of alcohol in 1933. Pennsylvania in 2016 passed a state law legalizing the sale of medicinal marijuana, beginning in early 2018.
Holloway is one of seven principals of a newly formed company, PA Holistic Health & Wellness Center, which is one of hundreds of organizations across the state that filed applications in March to be among the 27 that will be selected by the state Department of Health on or after June 17 to run marijuana dispensaries. Twelve grower and processor permits will also be issued.
Holloway and her seven partners are unique in that they are a 100 percent minority-owned company. Pennsylvania has placed an emphasis on awarding marijuana businesses, with plans to incorporate minorities in ownership, distribution, transportation and other aspects of the business.
"We pretty much check all the boxes," said Holloway, who, if awarded a dispensary license, would operate in the Nicetown section of the city.
Holloway's group comprises four women who are either African American, Asian or Latino. While she is not certain, Holloway believes her group is the only one — perhaps in the entire state — owned and operated solely by minorities.
The Associated Press reported that City Councilman Derek Green noted at least four predominantly minority groups had applied for licenses in the city.
Part of the laborious application requirement for prospective operators is the outlining of a diversity plan that details how the operator would hire as well as work with and contract out to other minority businesses.
Legal in some form in 29 states, including the District of Columbia, the marijuana industry is one of the fastest growing businesses in the country. Last year medical and recreational sales topped $6.6 billion. That number is predicted to grow to $16 billion by 2020, according to New Frontier Data, a cannabis data analytic company in Washington, DC.
Cognizant of the lucrative nature of the industry, state Sen. Sharif Street is supportive of all minorities wanting to participate in the industry. Street backs the herb eventually being completely decriminalized.
"The senator is supportive of all minority groups fully participating in and having access to the industry," said Street's director of policy, Micah Mahjoubian. "We are concerned that minority organizations will be able to reap the full benefit of a market that has proven to be very lucrative."
However, there are a number of roadblocks that have prevented African Americans from getting into the business. For starters, it is expensive. As a dispensary, PA Holistic Health & Wellness Center had to pay $35,000 in fees up front, $5,000 of which is non-refundable. Other aspects of the business require applicants to have financial holdings in the range of $1 million.
Many states, including Pennsylvania, conduct in-depth background checks and, across the board, felonies trigger automatic disqualification from participation in the selling of marijuana at any level.
African Americans are almost four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession, according to a 2013 report by the American Civil Liberties Union that used 10 years' worth of FBI crime data compiled from every state. In Pennsylvania, African Americans make up nearly 11 percent of the population but account for 35 percent of the arrests.
Despite the legality, there has been some brush back to the future selling of marijuana. For instance, when it was announced at an East Mount Airy zoning meeting earlier this year that a dispensary could be located in the 8300 block of Stenton Avenue, some people in the crowd of more than 300 at the Oxford Presbyterian Church voiced their displeasure.
Holloway won't be specific about where she will locate the business should her group be selected other than to say it would be in Nicetown. She says, however, that she isn't overly concerned about brush back.
Holloway's group does have its share of supporters already in place. One of them is the Rev. William Giles, the pastor at Macedonia First John Church at 4635 N. 16th St.
"As long as it enhances the health of people and no one abuses it, I'm totally for it," Giles said. "I have spoken with her extensively and I like what I am hearing from her group. it will be a help to the community in a lot of ways — both for health reasons and the obvious benefits that the business can potentially bring with it."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Minorities here seek to cash in on marijuana business | News | phillytrib.com
Author: John N. Mitchell
Contact: Contact Us | Site | phillytrib.com
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: phillytrib.com | The Voice of the African American community.
"This opportunity with marijuana coming to the state of Pennsylvania at this point, you have to look at it like Prohibition back in the day — and it's a great opportunity that we want to be involved in," she said.
Holloway's Prohibition reference obviously refers to the 21st Amendment, which repealed the 18th Amendment to again legalize the sale of alcohol in 1933. Pennsylvania in 2016 passed a state law legalizing the sale of medicinal marijuana, beginning in early 2018.
Holloway is one of seven principals of a newly formed company, PA Holistic Health & Wellness Center, which is one of hundreds of organizations across the state that filed applications in March to be among the 27 that will be selected by the state Department of Health on or after June 17 to run marijuana dispensaries. Twelve grower and processor permits will also be issued.
Holloway and her seven partners are unique in that they are a 100 percent minority-owned company. Pennsylvania has placed an emphasis on awarding marijuana businesses, with plans to incorporate minorities in ownership, distribution, transportation and other aspects of the business.
"We pretty much check all the boxes," said Holloway, who, if awarded a dispensary license, would operate in the Nicetown section of the city.
Holloway's group comprises four women who are either African American, Asian or Latino. While she is not certain, Holloway believes her group is the only one — perhaps in the entire state — owned and operated solely by minorities.
The Associated Press reported that City Councilman Derek Green noted at least four predominantly minority groups had applied for licenses in the city.
Part of the laborious application requirement for prospective operators is the outlining of a diversity plan that details how the operator would hire as well as work with and contract out to other minority businesses.
Legal in some form in 29 states, including the District of Columbia, the marijuana industry is one of the fastest growing businesses in the country. Last year medical and recreational sales topped $6.6 billion. That number is predicted to grow to $16 billion by 2020, according to New Frontier Data, a cannabis data analytic company in Washington, DC.
Cognizant of the lucrative nature of the industry, state Sen. Sharif Street is supportive of all minorities wanting to participate in the industry. Street backs the herb eventually being completely decriminalized.
"The senator is supportive of all minority groups fully participating in and having access to the industry," said Street's director of policy, Micah Mahjoubian. "We are concerned that minority organizations will be able to reap the full benefit of a market that has proven to be very lucrative."
However, there are a number of roadblocks that have prevented African Americans from getting into the business. For starters, it is expensive. As a dispensary, PA Holistic Health & Wellness Center had to pay $35,000 in fees up front, $5,000 of which is non-refundable. Other aspects of the business require applicants to have financial holdings in the range of $1 million.
Many states, including Pennsylvania, conduct in-depth background checks and, across the board, felonies trigger automatic disqualification from participation in the selling of marijuana at any level.
African Americans are almost four times more likely than whites to be arrested for marijuana possession, according to a 2013 report by the American Civil Liberties Union that used 10 years' worth of FBI crime data compiled from every state. In Pennsylvania, African Americans make up nearly 11 percent of the population but account for 35 percent of the arrests.
Despite the legality, there has been some brush back to the future selling of marijuana. For instance, when it was announced at an East Mount Airy zoning meeting earlier this year that a dispensary could be located in the 8300 block of Stenton Avenue, some people in the crowd of more than 300 at the Oxford Presbyterian Church voiced their displeasure.
Holloway won't be specific about where she will locate the business should her group be selected other than to say it would be in Nicetown. She says, however, that she isn't overly concerned about brush back.
Holloway's group does have its share of supporters already in place. One of them is the Rev. William Giles, the pastor at Macedonia First John Church at 4635 N. 16th St.
"As long as it enhances the health of people and no one abuses it, I'm totally for it," Giles said. "I have spoken with her extensively and I like what I am hearing from her group. it will be a help to the community in a lot of ways — both for health reasons and the obvious benefits that the business can potentially bring with it."
News Moderator: Ron Strider 420 MAGAZINE ®
Full Article: Minorities here seek to cash in on marijuana business | News | phillytrib.com
Author: John N. Mitchell
Contact: Contact Us | Site | phillytrib.com
Photo Credit: Getty Images
Website: phillytrib.com | The Voice of the African American community.