New York City’s First Cannabis Boss Wants to Combat ‘Cannaphobia’

As a child growing up in East New York, Brooklyn, at the height of the war on drugs, Dasheeda Dawson became convinced that she wanted nothing to do with weed.

She was 10 when transit police officers began searching her backpack for drugs while she was on her way to school, Ms. Dawson said in an interview. As a teenager, she said she saw officers slam her friends to the ground over small amounts of cannabis.

She changed course completely in 2016 after the sudden death of her mother, a longtime cannabis user who had encouraged her to try the drug to treat health issues that left Ms. Dawson tired and in pain. Ms. Dawson left a corporate career and dove into the cannabis industry, enrolling first in a medical marijuana program in Arizona before eventually overseeing the industry in Portland, Ore., which included medicinal and recreational use.

Now, Ms. Dawson, 43, has returned home to lead Cannabis NYC, the city’s effort to support entrepreneurs and workers seeking entry into the sector. As the founding director, she will head a small team charged with corralling city services to help build sustainable cannabis businesses, including helping entrepreneurs to apply for licenses, access financing opportunities and navigate municipal regulations. [Read More @ The NY Times]