Seventy-six-year-old Sue Taylor sees great promise in the cannabis sector.
During an interview with ABC-7 News, the former Catholic school principal shares her joy in owning a Berkeley, CA, dispensary. She reportedly owns the first and only Black-woman-owned dispensary in the city.
“It was quite an honor. To be that representative,” Taylor mentioned to the outlet. “So many African Americans — it’s people of color who were incarcerated for cannabis from the get, right, from the beginning. It was us. And so to have an African-American family open up a dispensary such as this, it gave us a lot of pride.”
The feat would not have been possible if she had not adjusted her initial hesitation surrounding the use of cannabis, she says. Only when she witnessed its benefits for seniors combined with the the loss of a dear friend to cancer did she finally understand.
“I feel some kind of way in my heart that I didn’t serve her well because my mindset wasn’t on cannabis. Because I was secretly afraid of it because of the ‘reefer madness’ that was instilled in me as I was growing up,” Taylor said, according to ABC-7 News.
With a new mindset, Taylor co-founded Farmacy Berkeley. The business venture was 12 years in the making, and it took eight years before she could obtain a permit. She also had to navigate the business challenges of securing a building.
“It took us eight years before we could get that permit,” Taylor mentioned. “No, no, it was eight years of activist work, like trying to get a building, trying to get in, trying to fit in being African Americans and get the door slammed in my face, in our face, and not wanting to rent buildings to us and all that we went through, all those kinds of challenges.”
With the help of three outside investors, on Feb. 6, 2020, Taylor would ultimately cross the finish line, depleting her retirement savings in the process. This year, the business is celebrating its fourth anniversary.
“This has really been a dream come true. You know, servicing the community, servicing seniors,” Taylor told ABC-7 News.
The dispensary markets itself as “more than just a store” due to its work in the community with local governments, businesses, and social equity organizations to educate the community on the use of cannabis.
Furthermore, its products are sourced from local growers, and some of its diverse product offerings include cannabis-infused sparkling beverages, a line of cannabis strains, and joint and muscle creams. Some of the products specifically cater to seniors under the brand, Mama Sue — her nickname — and Taylor plans a wellness center in the future as well.
To support the shop, purchases can be made online or by visiting the physical located at 3243 Sacramento St, Berkeley, CA 94702.
