I was originally introduced to the cannabis world as a teenager and was immediately drawn to the plant and the effects it had on me physically and mentally. I knew early on that this was something worth learning more about. Coming from the east coast, I knew I couldn’t learn and develop in ways that I wanted to about the cannabis industry so I needed to move to California where cannabis was legal.
Please tell me more about your brand, MD Numbers. What challenges have you encountered as cannabis business owners? How does stigma affect your work?MD Numbers Inc. is a family of vertically integrated cannabis brands — MD Farms, Marie’s Deliverables, and Legacy Coterie — that provide a range of goods and services to the California supply chain, retail customers, and equity community.
By thinking big yet staying small, MD Numbers has consistently grown to become an industry leader since 2015. Additionally, as MD Numbers continues to grow, so have our efforts to give back. Everyday we see the industry becoming more corporatized by those least impacted by the war on drugs; it means a lot for us to help minorities succeed.
We face many of the same stigmas as most minority cannabis businesses do — the struggle to access capital from traditional financial institutions or private funding has always been a challenge, as well as limited real estate opportunities and predatory contract negotiations. MD Numbers consists of multiple legal compliant cannabis operations in different sectors of the supply chain.
There are many obstacles that I have endured over the course of my cannabis career. One main obstacle that stands out for me is compliance and legality. Rules and regulations surrounding the cannabis industry are always subject to change and can really hinder your business if you're not prepared for whatever changes that may come from either local or state officials.