Missouri's First Black-Owned Cannabis Dispensary Set To Open

By Paige Boyd, Managing Editor

Less than four years after Missouri residents voted for the use of medical marijuana, one St. Louis woman is taking advantage by opening the first Black-owned dispensary in the state.

As reported by Black Enterprise, Luxury Leaf Dispensary, owned by alternate medicine advocate Adrienne Scales-Williams, is set to have its soft opening on January 21. Its website describes Luxury Leaf as a must-see. It is located in the eclectic neighborhood of The Grove in St. Louis, featuring a “high-end, comfortable atmosphere.”

According to the Missouri Medical Cannabis Trade Association, there are 192 reported dispensaries in the state, and none are Black-owned. That, of course, changes with Luxury Leaf's upcoming soft opening. In an interview with the St. Louis American, Scales-Williams saw this as an opportunity to reach Black consumers in the ever-growing legal marijuana industry. "I am an advocate for alternative medicines and want to be a part of a culture that promotes plants in healing. I want to invest in something so innovative and great for patients," she says. “I want patients to feel healing when they enter the dispensary space."

She further explains with Travel Noire, “Medical cannabis has been proven to be a safe and effective option for pain management. Cannabis has marginalized so many Black people and still continues to produce barriers within the legal system as well as the industry. We hope to inspire others in the industry, being the first Black-owned dispensary to open in the state of Missouri.”

In addition to sales, Scales-Williams also plans to include virtual classes and encourage engagement with the St. Louis community. In an field where racial bias against both Black consumers and owners is still prevalent, Scales-Williams is looking to close the gap. “Many Black people that consume cannabis may purchase from illegal operations, further exposing us to an illicit market and illegality,” she explained to Travel Noire. "Having a place that is For Us, By Us, can ensure that quality is being preserved as well as education is being provided on the plant, how to consume holistically and how to maintain legality...This industry has profited off of Black and brown people, and it is imperative that Black cannabis businesses are representative. Due to the longstanding illegality of cannabis, stigma remains a struggle. Educating Black people that cannabis is a safe, effective, and legal form of medicating. The constant education will help to overcome this challenge.”

For more information, visit Luxury Leaf's official website, luxuryleafstl.com.