How a Bronx Chef Built the First Licensed Dispensary in the Hamptons
From the Bronx to Brown Budda. “I grew up in the Bronx. My mother’s a type two diabetic.” Marquis Hayes’s entry into cannabis was personal. He recalls waking up to medical emergencies at home–moments that forced responsibility early. “I would usually wake up to a mom that had a sugar coma, and I would have […]
The Power 100: The Black Leaders Who Built Cannabis, Not Just the Ones You Know
As the cannabis industry professionalizes, consolidates, and globalizes, a basic question still goes unanswered far too often:Who built this space, and who paid the price before it became profitable? To mark Black History Month and its 10th anniversary, Minorities for Medical Marijuana (M4MM) has released its inaugural Power 100, recognizing 100 Black leaders whose work […]
Cannabis Was Built by Breeders. The Legal Market Is Being Forced to Acknowledge That
For decades, cannabis breeders grew the plant that everyone profits from. They selected, stabilized and preserved genetics under prohibition, often at real personal risk. Then legalization arrived, and much of that work was absorbed into the commercial market with little credit, less consent and almost no compensation. Strains were renamed. Lineage was blurred. Provenance became […]


