Black and brown entrepreneurs hit with challenges to open legal marijuana businesses in New Jersey
Some Black and brown marijuana entrepreneurs say they are still finding it challenging to attract investors to start their small businesses but hope that will change soon.Tahir Johnson got conditional approval on May 24 to start his dream business and open a retail marijuana location in his hometown of Ewing, but he is having a hard time."I'm looking at purchasing property that all in you know, all in I'm looking at a couple hundred thousand dollars, and I can't go to a bank to get a loan for it," says Johnson.Johnson, who is the CEO of Simply Pure Trenton, says Black and brown business owners like himself are finding it challenging to access the capital to open marijuana businesses in New Jersey. The federal ban on marijuana banking means a regular business loan is illegal.
How I got one of NJ’s first 11 cannabis dispensary licenses
Tahir Johnson explains how he joined New Jersey’s legal weed market and shares his plans to launch Simply Pure Trenton before 2022 ends.
FIVE ENRICHING QUESTIONS WITH TAHIR JOHNSON, DIRECTOR OF INCLUSION/US CANNABIS COUNCIL
I had the pleasure of connecting with Tahir through the magic of the inter-webs. Even though we both are New Jersey residents, our paths had not crossed. But that shouldn’t stop you from allowing Tahir the chance to speak his mind for a moment, all the way out in California. Please let me have the honor to share the wisdom that Tahir holds within himself. He is most talented and obviously driven to change the world. Lucky me to be on his radar. This is a young man who is on a path to success. And he’s from New Jersey!
Warren Bobrow: Please tell me what you’ve accomplished lately? What part of the cannabis business do you work in?
Tahir Johnson: I’ve had quite a few amazing recent accomplishments. I was just awarded conditional approval by the NJ Cannabis Regulatory Commission for a dispensary license in my hometown of Ewing, NJ, with my business, Simply Pure Trenton NJ.
As cannabis industry grows, so should opportunities for communities of color
Tahir Johnson isn’t taking on the quixotic challenge of changing the NFL’s lack of diversity in team ownership. When speaking about the business of cannabis, he uses the NFL to provide “proper context” on his efforts to keep the still-very-young industry from continuing a trend toward building an entrenched NFLlike monochromatic corporate makeup.
The Karen Hunter Show
On May 12, 2022 Tahir Johnson, CEO of Simply Pure Trenton NJ appeared live on the Karen Hunter Show on SiriusXM Urban View
New Jersey community prioritizes social equity in recreational marijuana rollout
As more states cash in on the cannabis industry, there is a push to prioritize people with prior marijuana convictions. One New Jersey community focuses on the concept of “pot equity.” Hear from a young man who plans to become the first in his state to turn his past into profit.