In 2012, Colorado became the first state in the U.S. to allow adults over the age of 21 to use and grow small amounts of marijuana at home for both medical and recreational purposes.
Since the historic legislation, the cannabis industry is well on its way to becoming a $57 billion industry by 2027. There are a few black entrepreneurs in Denver working to create space for those that have disproportionately been arrested and jailed for using cannabis while their white counterparts smoke without incident.
With the rise of the business of marijuana, people of color are finding themselves shut out of the legal cannabis market, but there are two black businesses in the state that you should support the next time you make a pit stop in Denver.
Simply Pure Denver Dispensary
Located in Denver’s hip LoHi neighborhood, Simply Pure was the first black-owned and operated dispensary in the Denver area. Wanda James and her husband Scott Durrah became the first black business owners to own a dispensary, a cultivation facility, and an edible company in America. As if you needed another reason to stop by, we heard they have a pre-roll happy hour.
Viola Extracts
In 2014, Al Harrington and Dan Pettigrew opened Viola Extracts in a 12,000-square-foot building in northeast Denver. Dan Pettigrew and his team grow their cannabis with the help of four extraction machines and ten ovens. Today, Viola Extracts is a nationwide leader offering vapes and extracts along with traditional cannabis products in the medicinal and recreational industry.