June 3, 2020 UPDATE FROM OUR CEO
Across the nation many are taking to the streets to peacefully protest the murders of George Floyd, Breonna Taylor, Ahmaud Arbery and countless others. This has set off a chain of events and conversations which we hope will impart real change.
We stand with you. For a decade it has been our mission at Cannabis Now to help build an all-inclusive community surrounding the cannabis plant. Black and Latino communities are specifically targeted and incarcerated due to cannabis prohibition. Racial injustice has prevailed for far longer.
This important movement has been hijacked by individuals with criminal intent who are taking advantage of the circumstances. Last weekend after peaceful protestors rallied in Los Angeles on the corner of 3rd and La Cienega, directly in front of our Cannabis Now CBD store and headquarters, looters returned.
I was threatened and assaulted and our building was ransacked for hours. Almost everything was stolen and destroyed. As an entrepreneur this is heartbreaking.
We are not alone. Countless small businesses trying to recover from the coronavirus were decimated across the country, with dispensaries being directly targeted. Many of these cannabis companies are like us, independent, small business owners who have put their life savings and hard work into building their business. Some will not come back from this.
Our CBD store was built on a corner in Los Angeles that had been vacant for three years. It took months of renovation and hard work to bring this location back to life. In addition to our Cannabis Now media team, we hired local retail employees to help educate customers on the health and wellness benefits of the plant. Offering products from the industry’s most trusted brands and creating an event room as a gathering place for the community was our goal.
Due to COVID-19, we closed our doors in early March and had just reopened this last week. It was wonderful to have so many neighbors stop by and tell us how happy they were to see us open. Our store is currently closed again, but we will do our best to rebuild and offer a safe place for the community to come together.
We encourage you to peacefully protest, to vote and to let your voice be heard. While you are doing that, please lift up and support the small businesses in your community who have been affected.
Cannabis Now will move forward with a renewed purpose to inform, enlighten and to support the freedom we all deserve.
– Eugenio Garcia, Founder & CEO of Cannabis Now
HOW YOU CAN HELP
Visit our GoFundMe page to support our recovery and to learn more about the looting.
Stay updated via our Instagram: @cannabisnow + @cannabisnowretail
Please direct questions to [email protected].
