Cannabis industry trailblazers of color honored
EYE SPECIALISTS
Reich Center for Eye Care
Raymond Reich MD., Isaac Reich, MD.
LASIK - Starting at $1,50000 per eye
����������������������������������
Caribbean L 16 ife, July 12–18, 2019 BQ
THE SKILLS YOU NEED
THE WISE JUDGMENT YOU WANT
THE NAME YOU TRUST
COMPREHENSIVE OPHTHALMOLOGY
MANAGEMENT AND TREATMENT OF ALL EYE DISORDERS
��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
��������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������������
Brooklyn Cannabiz
Collective, held its first awards
ceremony to honor trailblazers
of color in the cannabis
industry on Thursday, June
27. More than one hundred
investors, business people,
elected officials, community
members, and others interested
in learning about cannabis
related opportunities, gathered
at Bedford Manor, a lounge /
restaurant located at 1177
Bedford Ave. to celebrate their
own.
In November of 2018,
Bedford Stuyvesant native, Al
Florant, convened a group of
likeminded people of color in
a midtown conference room to
hear a Skype based presentation
by Erik Range, an Orlando
based medical marijuana
advocate. Florant, a long-time
investor, had convened the
“Mastermind” group to explore
economic potential related to
the “Cannabis Gold Rush” that
has been sweeping the nation.
Florant’s vision was to create
a space where community
members could exchange
information and best prepare to
take advantage of the impending
benefits of participating in
one of the latest high-profile
investment arenas ever seen.
As Florant put it, “I saw major
investment opportunities in
real estate and tech pass by
many from my community,
and I didn’t want to sit by and
watch the same happen with
the cannabis boom we’re seeing
today.”
Citiva, Brooklyn’s first
cannabis dispensary, located on
Flatbush Avenue in the North
Flatbush Business Improvement
District sponsored the
Brooklyn Cannabiz Collective’s
Trailblazers Awards ceremony.
Colleen Hughes, Citiva’s director
of Community Development
and Education talked about the
importance of learning about
the benefits of “the plant,”
which has medicinal and other
uses.
The evening featured
Trailblazer Awards in the
areas of Courage, presented
to Reverend Anthony Trufant
of Clinton Hills’ Emmanuel
Baptist Church; Education,
presented to Gia Morón, CEO
of Women Grow; Advocacy,
presented to Sirita Wright,
co-founder of Estrohaze; and
Diversity, accepted by Grizzly
Bocourt on behalf of cannabis
advocate, Mary Pryor, co-creator
of Cannaclusive.
In addition to recognizing
industry trailblazers, the
event’s attendees received an
update from Assemblymember
Tremaine Wright on Albany’s
recently concluded legislative
session, an update on the
cannabis economic and
investment landscape by Debra
Borchardt, co-founder and CEO
of Green Market Report, and
sound advice on how to approach
investments in the cannabis
arena from Alicia Holmes
founder of Journey to Wealth.
Also in attendance was New
York State Senator Velmanette
Montgomery. The event, which
received rave reviews from
attendees was described as
having a Grammy’s-like feel.
To learn more about the
Brooklyn Cannabiz Collective
visit them on Facebook: @
BrooklynCC420, Instagram:
brooklyncannabizcollective,
and Twitter: @BklynCannaBiz,
or email: info@
brooklyncannabizcollective@
gmail.com.
BCC Founder Al Florant, Henry Lanclos, Honoree Rev. Anthony Trufant, member Robin
Sarli, and Citiva’s Colleen Hughes. Linda Lou
/gmail.com
