Harvard Square’s first cannabis dispensary — and its first Black-woman-owned business — is on track to open in September, CEO Leah Samura tells Axios.
Driving the news: Yamba Boutique is undergoing architectural review as Samura prepares for its opening.
- It would be the city’s second dispensary. Central Square’s Yamba Market — owned by Samura’s husband, Sieh, and their business partner, Sean Hope — was the first.
Why it matters: The state’s fast-growing cannabis industry remains predominantly white and male, with Black and brown entrepreneurs mostly shut out of financing and commercial real estate opportunities.
- The state has an application process for license holders who were disproportionately affected by the war on drugs, or who live in communities affected by it.