One of DC’s Own and Her Partners Open Anacostia Organics

Congratulations go out to my friend and new District of Columbia medical marijuana retail licensee Linda Mercado Greene and her partners for their grand opening of Anacostia Organics. It’s always nice to see the good guys (gals) win one and CBE looks forward to watching team AO kick some ass generating revenues,  jobs and taxes while serving patients in The District’s Wards 8 & 9 as well as other parts of the Nation’s Capital.

PRESS RELEASE

Anacostia Organics, The First Medical Marijuana Dispensary East of The River, To Hold Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting with Mayor Muriel Bowser and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton

Washington, DC (January 22, 2019) – Anacostia Organics, a 100% minority female owned medical marijuana dispensary, located in Historic Anacostia at 2022 Martin Luther King, Jr. Avenue, SE,Washington, DC, will open its doors at a grand opening and ribbon cutting ceremony with special guests Mayor of the District of Columbia Muriel Bowser and Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) on January 24, 2019 11 a.m. Doors will remain opened until 7 p.m. to allow residents and neighbors an opportunity to visit. This is the first medical marijuana dispensary to be licensed by the DC Department of Health in Ward 8, and East of the River. All staff of Anacostia Organics are DC residents with the majority living in Wards 7 and 8.

Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), Linda Mercado Greene, and DC Mayor Muriel Bowser cut the ribbon officially opening Anacostia Organics

Owner and CEO Linda Mercado Greene has been a resident of the District of Columbia for 46 years, residing in Historic Anacostia for the past 19 years. An entrepreneur, Greene is the CEO of a public relations/public affairs company, The Linda Greene Group, which has advised and represented local, national, and international political figures in additional to those in business, entertainment, sports, and religion. She also served as Chief of Staff to The Honorable Marion Barry, who was a close family friend since 1972. In 2014, Greene began to focus solely on the burgeoning cannabis industry, incorporating BCG Holdings, Inc., a public relations/public affairs firm focused on the cannabis industry as a specialty with co-founders Sherri Blount, Esq., Yolanda Caraway, and Board Member H. Marrel Foushee. Anacostia Organics is a subsidiary of BCG Holdings, Inc.

“Through our research of license holders and locations, we found that even though an overwhelming majority of medical marijuana card holders resided in Wards 7 and 8 at that time, there were no dispensaries located in their own communities to give them access to their medications. As well, it was discovered that there were no longtime female residents of the District of Columbia were awarded licenses for a cultivator license nor a dispensary license; only 2 people of color and only 2 women were awarded licenses out of 15 licenses granted to operate in the District of Columbia. We brought this data to the Executive Office of the Mayor and to the Council of the District of Columbia, resulting in emergency legislation to reopen the licensing process for at least one dispensary to be allowed to operate in Ward 7 or Ward 8. After a many year process, Anacostia Organics made application and was successful in our bid.”

Greene is very active in the cannabis sphere, locally and nationally, on policy, advocacy, equality, expungements, and equity fairness…a constant presence in the halls of Congress and the DC Government. She was recently elected by her licensed colleagues in DC to become the new Chair of the DC Medical Cannabis Trade Association. She is an active member of the Minority Cannabis Business Association serving on its Board of Directors; the Steering Committee of the National Cannabis Festival; a member of the National Cannabis Industry Association and other cannabis affiliated organizations. She was recently retained by the Cannabis Trade Federation as a strategy consultant.

“This is an important and historic day in Ward 8” says Greene. “Anacostia Organics is honored to have the support of our community and the leadership of our great city witnessed by the participation and presence of two strong and powerful women leading the capitol city of the nation, The Honorable Muriel Bowser and The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton. As the owner and CEO, I am committed to bringing our patients access top quality medicine. This opening is also a big step to help ensure that our community will not be left behind as the cannabis industry becomes a larger source of jobs and opportunity around the nation.”

For further information, contact Dedra Owens at 202-491-0845.

Dedra Owens

202.491.0845

DOT COMMUNICATIONS