Sonics legend Shawn Kemp to open Seattle’s first Black-owned marijuana dispensary

Just a stone’s throw away from where he used to rattle rims and enthrall the green-clad fans inside KeyArena, Sonics legend Shawn Kemp is embarking on a new endeavor. The “Reign Man” is opening up a cannabis shop called “Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis”, which will become Seattle’s first Black-owned dispensary.

The dispensary “Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis” located at 3035 1st Ave. will open Friday, Oct. 30. Kemp will be joined by his former teammate and Hall of Famer Gary Payton for a ribbon-cutting ceremony beginning at 12:45 p.m. and the shop will officially open its doors to the public at 1 p.m.

“I’m looking forward to welcoming Sonics fans on a regular basis, starting with opening day,” Kemp said in a news release.

The six-time All Star who spent the first eight years of his 14-year NBA career with the Sonics, said he looks forward to being a role model for Black people and other minorities, who have been historically underrepresented in the industry. “I hope that Shawn Kemp’s Cannabis will be an inspiration for people to get involved with the legal cannabis industry, especially people of color,” Kemp said.

Payton launched his own cannabis company in 2019 called CannaSports. The company offers THS and CBS vape cartridges in addition to batteries with color schemes of the team’s jerseys. [Read more at The Seattle Times]